Time
by SummerRed
Summary: When a remaining Crack is found, Rory is once again gone. But the Doctor and Amy's journey to find him will lead to old friends and something far bigger than any of them originally thought.
1. Confrontations of the Heart

**Disclaimer: **Don't own Doctor Who or his companions.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter One<strong>

**Confrontations of the Heart**

"DOCTOR!" screamed Amy, running for the big, blue box she knew to be a safe haven.

"Amy, get in the TARDIS and lock the door! Do you understand? Do not come back out. Wait for me in there!"

Frozen at the door, Amy turned and saw the Doctor 'sonicing' the metal doors they had just ran through.

"I'm not leaving you out here," she said blankly.

"I will be five minutes-no; _less_ than five minutes. Just get in the TARDIS!"

Amy knew why she was so scared of leaving him, her 'raggedy Doctor'.

For the nth time Rory was gone. After their disastrous honeymoon they had spent a week together on the TARDIS, discovering parts of the ship even the Doctor had forgot about. They hadn't gone with the Doctor on any of his adventures but decided to join him for a walk on a planet where the rain tasted like liquorice and the leaves like fruit. It was the perfect place for a safe honeymoon-ish day out.

Until they saw the Crack.

Even knowing what it could do, they allowed themselves to get too close in their curiosity and fear.

And Rory had been taken again.

But this time she only forgot for a second. She carried on pretending because deep down she was unsure of whether Rory was real, or just her imagination. She was scared that she had forgotten. The Doctor was already going on about getting out of there, not even mentioning Rory. They were both too good at acting.

She couldn't pull him up on it as she just didn't want to admit it to herself. Because to admit it would mean that she would have to confess to the Doctor of how the Crack hadn't affected her memory either.

It hadn't erased Rory from her mind…even though it should have.

She had the same feeling as last time, like she had forgotten something, like she had left something behind.

It was too powerful to just be something trivial like a coat or hat. She felt something missing and she wanted it back. Desperately.

She thought that maybe because the Crack was a straggler it hadn't worked properly. They still remembered when they weren't supposed to.

So it stood to reason that, just because he was _supposed _to be gone, didn't mean that he actually was.

But she still wasn't one hundred percent sure.

A loud bang brought Amy out of her reverie.

"How are they breaking through? They can't break through, that's impossible…"

The Doctor put his Screwdriver back in his pocket and ran to the control centre in the middle of the room.

"Doctor, let's just go. Please."

The Doctor heard the fear in Amy's voice and his head snapped up.

Amy Pond was never scared. Her fearlessness reminded him of-

_Do not think about that now,_ he scolded himself. He needed to make Amy safe.

"Amy, into the TARDIS now!" he roared.

She wouldn't be hurt because of him. It had happened too often. All of his companions would eventually leave because of him. They would get hurt or killed or taken into another world where he could never reach them.

Never reach her.

_Rose._

"Doctor, you've done enough. Please. It's time to go."

"Just…one…more…minute…AHA!"

The locks clicked into place and he ran for the TARDIS.

"In we go!"

"Doctor-" He slammed the door shut behind him.

"No time, Amy."

His abrupt tone startled her. He started messing with the console. The TARDIS sprung into flight.

"What?" she asked incredulously.

The Doctor's eyes were hard as she met them. She dropped her gaze immediately.

"I told you to get in the TARDIS and stay there. But did you listen? No, of course not."

"How was I supposed to know you would follow me?" she cried. "I wasn't going to let you leave me as well!"

She started for the stairs but was stopped as the Doctor grabbed her arm.

"Amy, who left you?"

His tone was gentle, coaxing.

"Stop it," she moaned, trying to pull away.

She had said too much.

"Who was it, Amy? Just tell me his name and I'll let you stomp off to wherever it is you want to go."

Amy's head whipped around.

"You remember too?"

The Doctor's eyes searched her face.

"Remember what?"

"You said 'his name'. You remember him too?"

She needed the Doctor's reassurances, needed him to confirm that Rory wasn't just a figment of her imagination or from a dream.

"Who is he? Just say his name. I need you to tell me his name, Amy."

The tears came then. Amy knew that they were on the same page.

Rory was real.

But he was also gone.

"Rory. Rory Williams."

The Doctor dropped her arm as though electrocuted.

"How do you remember him? He never existed."

"I know, but I do! So that must mean that he's out there somewhere. Maybe back on Earth, waiting for me."

Amy's eyes were shining with excitement.

The Doctor's heart was heavy with regret at what he was about to tell her.

"Rory died, Amy. Even if he did exist, perhaps only in our lives, he won't be waiting for you. The energy from the Crack would have killed him as soon as he entered it."

This information, however, didn't seem to have any effect on Amy's mood.

"I know. But what if it's all…bleh?"

"Bleh?" the Doctor asked, confused by her reaction.

"Yeah! Maybe it's all gone wrong or something. I wasn't supposed to remember him because he wasn't supposed to exist so maybe he didn't die either!"

The Doctor shook his head sadly.

"That's not how it wor-"

"It's worth a shot!" Amy burst out heatedly.

"But what if he isn't down there? The disappointment…you wouldn't be able to handle it. I won't let you be crushed over this."

"I'll be more crushed if I never look for him. And he will be too."

"I understand how you feel but-"

Amy laughed harshly, the tears coming thick and fast now.

"What would you know about it? You've never loved, how could you? You're not even human."

She ran up the stairs, stopping on the top step where she then sat, tears still falling, holding her knees to her chest as though that would stop the pain she felt in her heart.


	2. What Would You Do?

**Disclaimer: **Don't own Doctor Who or his companions.

Thank you to everyone who read, and for the positive feedback.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Two<strong>

**What Would You Do?**

The Doctor was stood where Amy had left him. Her parting words had struck a nerve he didn't even know he had and had opened the floodgates on all his memories of Rose. Of course he had loved; how could he have known Rose and not fallen in love with her? In the end his lack of humanity didn't mean anything. So he had two hearts- it was just twice as much to love her with.

The thought of finding Rose was similar to Amy's thoughts of finding Rory…wasn't it?

However, the situations were radically different.

If there was a chance he could see Rose again, would he do it?

_That's impossible, _he told himself.

But if there was even the slightest chance?

_She already has her Doctor, _he reflected sadly.

He could go back to when she was still here in this universe.

If he could just see her, she wouldn't recognise him, and he would be free to talk to her as a stranger, giving him a few precious moments with her.

_Hypocrite, _a dark voice in his mind whispered. _One rule for the Doctor and another for Jack… _

Fear gripped at his hearts. What if he changed the timeline too much? He might never meet her. He shook his head. He'd said his goodbyes to Rose a hundred times over, both in his mind, on the shores of Bad Wolf Bay, and in his Tenth self's dying moments. She was the last person he saw; just as it should be, just as it was before.

_You have never said a goodbye in this body._.

He wondered where these ideas had come from and automatically looked around the TARDIS.

"You miss her too, old girl?" he murmured.

The Doctor suddenly understood Amy's need to look for Rory, even though there was a slim chance of finding him. It would mean that she had at least tried.

And that would make all of the difference.

"Amy? Amy!"

The Doctor climbed the stairs and found her sitting at the top, curled into a ball.

Her face was blotchy, her eyes ringed with red. He felt even worse for shooting down her idea straight away.

"We'll look for him. I can't promise you anything but I will try my very best to find him for you," he said in a rush.

She merely stared up at him. For a moment he was uncertain and backtracked quickly.

"If that's not what you want anymore then I-oof!"

Amy threw herself into his arms, softly chanting "Thank you" into his shoulder. He patted her back awkwardly before setting her back on her feet.

"Now then, let's go Rory-hunting."

Amy seemed to fly down the stairs.

The Doctor followed her to the console. He started up the TARDIS' engines but was stumped at how to get a fix on where Rory could be. It would obviously take too long to search the whole of Earth and all of its timelines for one man.

He felt a small tug on his sleeve and turned his head to see Amy taking off her wedding ring.

"Use his ring. Well, my ring. But it's a piece of him, Doctor. He put his heart and soul into this ring; it's what ties us together," she said softly, not even thinking of how corny it sounded.

He took it from her, squeezing her hand as he did so. Attaching the ring to a wire leading into the TARDIS, he set the date.

"Where are we going to?"

"26th June 2010."

"My wedding day," Amy mumbled morosely.

"Hold on tight," he shouted, hitting the button to go.

The sound of the TARDIS leaving surrounded them.

It was steady for a moment but then she jolted, as though she had been hit.

"No, no, no. What's wrong? C'mon this is easy for you," the Doctor whispered.

"Doctor!" Amy called from the other side. "Something's flashing!"

Two words flashed on screen for a tenth of a second, too fast for Amy's eyes to see them:

BAD WOLF.

He couldn't understand what was going on. The TARDIS stopped, finally reaching her destination.

"Doctor…where do you think Rory would be if, you know, he did survive?" Amy asked mock-casually.

"Your house?" he guessed, not grasping what she was getting at.

"So he wouldn't be in, say…Norway?"

"Norway?" he asked in disbelief.

"Yup. Norway," she said in a thoroughly-pissed-off-what-have-you-done-now-you-stupid-alien kind of voice. "Whatever that says, to be precise."

He read their destination in numb shock.

_Dårlig Ulv Stranden._

"Bad Wolf Bay," he breathed.

"What? Doctor, why the hell are we here? Why would he be in _Norway?_"

The Doctor began pacing.

"The TARDIS has a mind of her own. She wants us to be here and with your ring connected to her circuits, it means that Rory must be around here somewhere. But why here? Surely she doesn't remember…"

"Who doesn't remember? Why would Rory be in Norway, for God's sake? And since when do you speak Norwegian?"

The Doctor spoke before thinking:

"I've been here before. Rose told me what it meant."

"Rose? She's the one that remembers?" Amy barred his way, placing a restraining hand on his chest. "Doctor, _what_ is going on?"

"Bad Wolf Bay is where my signal came out when Rose was trapped in her universe. But is this her universe? It can't be; both universes would collapse. So it must be your universe but the coincidence is too big. Why would Rory come to Bad Wolf Bay? The name has no meaning to him; neither of you were with me then. I've never told anyone about it so no one could have known. Maybe Rory found Torchwood. But it stopped, didn't it? Jack left the planet after what happened with his daughter. Ugh, what am I missing?"

"Who's Rose?"

The Doctor's eyes met Amy's. She gasped at the depth of the sadness they held, taking a step away from him and letting her hand drop.

"She travelled with me for a while. Brought her half her family with her at one point," he laughed, thinking of Mickey and Jackie.

"There's more. There's something you aren't telling me."

"She met me when I was still angry and violent and…not very nice at all. She calmed me and made me the way I am now…sort of. Anyway, she took away the bloodlust I felt. She was the personification of the reason I carry no weapons. She almost died once from taking in all of time and space from the TARDIS, to save me, always for me, for her Doctor, to keep me safe. I…took it out of her so it wouldn't kill her. It came into me and I regenerated into a skinny guy with a thing for a brown suit and _brilliant_ hair. But I regenerated for her, it was in my DNA."

He paused for a moment, willing his voice not to break as he spoke of Canary Wharf.

"There were so many times she almost died. She had this extraordinary knack for getting into trouble, jeopardy friendly you could say. A lot like you really. But then this one time…there was nothing I could do to save her. I would have given my life for hers in the blink of an eye but right then I could do nothing but watch. She almost fell into the Void, a place between universes, some call it Hell. Pete from Pete's World caught her and took her back with him. I had no way of reaching her without destroying every universe there is. It was…the worst feeling; how could I live knowing that I could save so many worlds but I couldn't ever see her again because it would destroy them?" he added, seemingly talking to himself now.

He brushed at his eyes furiously before clearing his throat as Amy watched and waited in silence.

"I was able to send one last message to her. I called out to her while she slept. We met here, in Bad Wolf Bay. She told she loved me and I, being the rambling _idiot _that I am, didn't have a chance to say it back."

"That was the last time you saw her?" Amy asked, trying very hard to keep her voice from wavering; she had no idea of how much he had suffered.

"No, we met again when Davros collected the 27 planets, but you don't known about that. I left her here with my twin. Actually he was more of a doppelganger. My old doppelganger. Well, not really my doppelganger anymore. It's complicated," he finished lamely.

"Ok, so basically, if we're in her universe it means it's the end of every universe there is?"

"That is the general idea, yes."

"Will Rory be with her?" she asked hopefully.

"I can't make any promises. Besides, we don't even know if this _is_ her universe yet. It can't be…but…oh no…"

"What?" Amy asked quickly, afraid of even more bad news.

"I was…ohh. You beauty!" he exclaimed, patting the TARDIS.

"Doctor, you've lost me again."

"I was thinking about her before. You were saying about finding Rory and it made me think of what I would do to find Rose. I thought it was the TARDIS giving me ideas about her because she misses Rose as much as me."

"Wait, the TARDIS can _miss _people?"

"Only me…and Rose."

"Why Rose?" Amy asked curiously.

"She was closer to the heart of the TARDIS than anyone else I have ever travelled with."

"But why?"

"Because she's Rose. She's the Bad Wolf, Dame of the Powell Estate, the Valiant Child. The girl in the TARDIS and the TARDIS in the girl. And because…I love her."

Amy beamed at him.

"Then what are we waiting for?" she asked enthusiastically.

"Amy, you have to understand. If this is Rose's universe, we are in a lot of danger and Rory probably won't be with her. If this is your universe, Rory may be here with…others."

"Others?" Amy asked, raising one eyebrow.

"Torchwood, UNIT, people like that."

"Who are th-?"

Before she could finish, there was a scratching noise followed by a series of bangs on the TARDIS door.

The Doctor flicked his Screwdriver up and advanced slowly, Amy right behind him.

"Doctor, I know you're in there! The key doesn't fit anymore! Did you change the locks so that I couldn't get in? Too scared of me since you left me on this Godforsaken beach for the _second _time?"

The Doctor froze. He knew she was joking, he could hear it in her voice.

"Doctor?"

But how was it her voice?

"Doctor!"

It was impossible.

"Please, Doctor, it's me. Open the door. It's Rose."


	3. The Wolf's Return

**Disclaimer: **Don't own Doctor Who or any of his companions.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Three<strong>

**The Wolf's Return**

"_Why are we here, Rose?" The Doc-John, he was John now-had asked. She hadn't told him where they'd been going. He had just followed her blindly and she had been happy that, for once, it wasn't the other way around._

"_Because I…I don't know. I just have this feeling that I have to be here…that I have to wait here for something._

"_But wh-"_

_She silenced him with a kiss. _

"_Just trust me, ok?" she whispered, leaning her forehead against his cheek._

"_Rose Tyler, the thing I do with my whole heart is trust you," he murmured, brushing a stray lock of hair from her face._

"_Whole heart. Just the one," she said sadly without thinking. He stepped away from her with a sigh._

"_Is that why we're back here? So you can feel closer to him?"_

"_No, I told you. I have a fe-"_

"_He's not coming back for you, Rose!"_

_She blinked back tears and stuttered, "I'm going for a walk, ok?"_

_John seemed to regret his outburst and reached out for her._

"_No, no. Y-you stay h-here. I want to b-be alone for…"_

_She hadn't finished the sentence; instead she walked away._

She knew he hadn't really meant it. He was just fed up of always being compared to the real Doctor.

Her Doctor.

But how could she not compare him? How could she not be angry at how he had left her with a replacement?

She was grateful obviously for what he had done for her but she couldn't shake the feeling that he had left John with her, not only to tame him, but so that she wouldn't pine for him and so he was finally free of her.

That had worked great. Until he died.

She should have known the universe would have wanted to put two fingers up to her for the way she had treated John. And so it took him from her.

The irony of it was that she had finally accepted him, finally let herself fall more in love with John the Man than the John the Doctor's Clone.

And then he was gone.

Now she looked back, she realised there had been signs. But they had chosen to ignore them. Life was easier that way.

Ever since he died her last minutes with him ran through her mind on a continuous loop, preventing her from sleeping and making her feel like she was trapped, unable to move on.

She wondered if she would ever move on, especially now that the feeling that she had to come back to Norway was stronger than ever. She knew it was time to go back to where it all began.

And so here she was, sitting alone in a little café in Norway. Soon enough she grew restless, and after paying for her drink she left, letting herself follow the feeling, the memory of John's death running through her mind again.

"_Shall we have tea? A nice cup of tea after a hard day's work."_

_Rose snorted._

"_Right then, off you pop," he said cheerfully, practically beaming at her.  
>"So chivalrous," she muttered before heading for the kitchen. <em>

_He suddenly hissed, pain distorting his features. Rose looked over, worry clear in her eyes. _

"_What's wrong?" _

_He dropped to his knees, clutching at his head. Rose ran to him, skidding to a halt beside him. _

"_Tell me how to help you!" she cried. _

"_You can't," gasped John. "I should have told you. But I wanted you to be happy. Now though…it's made is worse, so much worse. I shouldn't have come onto the TARDIS but I wanted to see her…one last time." He met her gaze, and he saw love and fear there. _

"_One last time," she repeated flatly._

_**She knows**__, he thought, his heart breaking for her, and for him. For what they were losing. He had to say it out loud, if only to make it more real for her._

"_Rose, I'm dying. Nine hundred years shoved into one human mind; it was never going to last."_

"_You had the dream again. The one where you're outside the TARDIS and you just had to go in!" she said harshly, tears falling onto the floor. He grabbed her hands, pulling her closer to him._

"_Well curiosity always did kill the cat." _

_She nearly hit him._

"_We'll find a way, there has to be a way," she said quickly for he had started to shake violently. She held his face in her hands, gently stroking his temples as if that would take away his pain._

"_Would you want to? You could find him now. Be happy. I want you to be happy. He left you here to be happy and you never were, not really. You love me, but I'm not him. You need him and he needs you." _

"_I need you, too," she said softly. He smiled at her before moaning in pain._

"_Rose Tyler, Defender of the Earth, find him and be brilliant and fantastic and eat loads of bananas. The Doctor in the TARDIS with Rose Tyler, as it should be. I love you," he said quietly. _

_Rose stroked his cheek, making soft shushing noises. "You'll be alright. You're always alright." _

_He grimaced. _

"_Rose…"_

_She leant her forehead against his. "I love you," she whispered._

"_Have a fantastic life." _

_She fell forward, hitting their wooden floor. His body was gone._

"_No, no…no!" she screamed._

She wiped at her eyes and looked up.

She was back.

How she had gotten here, she didn't know.

She wasn't aiming for here.

But it was as she had explained before. Something was drawing her here, something that had restarted, this time so much more powerfully, after John's death.

Bad Wolf Bay.

She sat for a while, watching the waves smooth the sand over and over again; thinking about what to do next, about how much she actually hated this place.

Something was calling to her.

The walls of the universe were collapsing again, had been for nearly a year, but no one knew why. The Doctor couldn't help them in her world and John had only been human.

But…she had a small fear that maybe she wasn't anymore. Her mind, once so simple, was now riddled with Time and golden light, all the possibilities imaginable laid out in her mind. She had a niggling doubt that John had known something was different too. But as with the signs of his death, they had decided that ignorance was best.

And it had led her here.

It had brought Jack, Martha and Mickey to her world, searching for her. Torchwood had been finding notes everywhere they went. Notes containing two words.

_**Bad Wolf.**_

Rose never could remember what happened on board Satellite Five. She remembered looking into the heart of the TARDIS, hearing the most glorious song and then the next thing she knew her Doctor was dying. He'd never told her properly, always wanting to protect her. But deep down she knew what she did to the Dalek Emperor. In those few moments, she knew everything.

And now more than ever it was coming back to her. She remembered the burning in her mind, the gold in her eyes and in her heart, the heart she shared with the TARDIS and the Doctor. She remembered writing her name throughout time and space. She remembered bringing life. She remembered creating herself. She remembered everything.

And again her mind was burning. It had always been inside of her, it had just been buried within her, so deep she even she didn't know until now.

Rose shook her head, trying to clear away the troubling thoughts, instead focusing on waiting for Jack.

They were on their way to Norway now, all trusting Rose's instinct.

So why hadn't he?

Tears stung her eyes again. However, before she could wipe them away, she heard a sound.

The best sound in the world, in her opinion.

The sound of the TARDIS arriving.

She scrambled to her feet and glanced at the area surrounding her.

_She can't be too far…they're here somewhere._

Then she saw it. The big, beautiful, blue box didn't look quite so old anymore, like she'd had a new coat of paint.

"Hello, old girl," she said softly before running full speed towards the TARDIS sand spraying out in all directions behind her.

She yanked at the key that she always kept around her neck, pulling it off its chain.

It was her one and only link to the real Doctor. They had chosen not to grow their own TARDIS. The Doctor in the TARDIS with Rose Tyler wasn't quite the same when the Doctor wasn't really the Doctor.

Rose hit the TARDIS full force, scrabbling to get the key in the lock. It didn't fit.

Rose's paranoia kicked in.

_Did he know I had a key? Did he change the lock to prevent me from ever getting back to him?_

She banged on the door repeatedly, willing it to open for her.

_Does he know it's me? Is he even in there?_

Without a second's hesitation, she started shouting.

"Doctor, I know you're in there! The key doesn't fit anymore! Did you change the locks so that I couldn't get in? Too scared of me since you left me on this Godforsaken beach for the _second _time?"

She wasn't even sure what she was saying, she just needed to know that he was inside.

She lowered her voice and said quietly, "Please, Doctor, it's me. Open the door. It's Rose."

She didn't know what she was expecting.

Maybe he was deep within the TARDIS and couldn't hear.

Or maybe he just didn't want to answer the door.

Not wanting to seem pathetic, and so that she wouldn't start begging for him to come out, Rose let the key fall to the floor stepped away.

With a deep, shuddering breath she turned her back on the TARDIS and started to walk away.

In the TARDIS, Amy nudged the Doctor.

"Aren't you going to open the door?"

"I-" He cleared his throat. "She won't want to see me."

She punched his arm. "Are you kidding? 'Course she will."

"She wants _her_ Doctor. I'm not him."

"What? Of course you are. How couldn't you be?"

"I regenerated."

"You said that before, what does it mean?"

"Changed bodies. I'll explain it better another time."

"So you've changed since she last saw you?"

He nodded, jaw tight.

"She'll still want you. Don't leave her out there alone. That will only cause more hurt."

Amy had never seen him look so defeated. With a deep breath and an encouraging smile from Amy, he opened the door, hope dominating his features. He needed to come back to life and there was only one person who could do that.

He looked down and saw her key lying on the ground.

"Rose?"

She kept walking, confused by the voice calling her name.

"Rose, wait!"

The Doctor ran after her, slipping on the wet sand.

"Rose, I'm sorry! Please, stop."

Rose took a deep breath and turned on the spot to be faced with…a complete stranger.

She froze, eyes roaming all over his body. He was different, so different. Younger, shorter, even more madly dressed than last time.

The fear on his face took her breath away. Fear of her rejection.

Finally she looked into his eyes.

"Doctor," she breathed. "My Doctor."

He wanted to tell her how much he'd missed her, say how good it was to see her, maybe even be domestic and finally tell her that he loved her.

Instead he held up his hand and said, "You forgot your key."


	4. Finally

**Chapter Four**

**Finally**

Rose stretched her hand out as though in a dream, never taking her gaze away from the Doctor's eyes. He dropped the key into her open palm.

"Hello," he said, a lump rapidly forming in his throat.

"Hello," she said, smiling at their old routine.

The Doctor did exactly what he had wanted to avoid. He started to babble.

"Rose, I know I don't look like me. Well, I do because this is me but I don't look like how you remember me but I am me inside and I don't know why I'm here but I think you have something to do with it or maybe Rory because it was him we came looking for but if you're here then something bigger is going on but how the-"

She shoved her hand over his mouth.

"Oh my God, you need to shut up," she laughed. She started to remove her hand but he caught it in his own. She took a step closer to him, making sure her hand kept contact with his, and stroked the side of his face. He sighed contentedly and leant into her touch.

"Rose…" he breathed, closing his eyes. She laughed, rather hysterically, at how all it took was for him to say her name to cement the fact that this really was the Doctor standing in front of her. This was real.

"It is you. You've still got a big gob, you're posh, you're dressed like an old man but it _is _you. Your eyes…" He opened them and stared deep into hers. "They're so different but completely the same. It's…weird. Are you wearing a bow tie?"

"Bow ties are cool," he said automatically. She just stared at him. He laughed and wrapped his arms around her waist, resting his head on her shoulder, his nose brushing her neck as he breathed in her smell. Before he got lost in her he asked, "Why am I here?"

"I was about to ask you the same question," she sighed, gently caressing his neck with her fingertips. Willing himself not to purr, he made himself pay attention to her voice. "I'm guessing you're the one who was calling me here?"

"Calling you here?" he said, confusion colouring his tone.

"Yeah; I've had…the weirdest feeling that someone was calling me back here and when I saw the TARDIS I just assumed it was you."

"Rose, I lost you. I thought I'd never see you again after I left you with…me. How could I call you back here when I had no way of returning?"

"I thought you'd know." She moved one of her hands and ran it through his hair.

"Know what?" he asked cautiously, trying to ignore just how good it felt to have her stroking his hair.

"The walls of the universe are collapsing again. Jack, Martha, Mickey; they all came through a few weeks ago. It's the same in their world."

"So that means…"

"Means what?"

"I'll get to it later. Fully explain and all that. First, I would like very much to…"

The Doctor, saviour of so many worlds, was blushing.

"Like to what, Doctor?" Rose asked, raising an eyebrow in amusement.

"I'd like to kiss you."

Rose pulled him closer and kissed him like she'd never kissed anyone before.

She always thought she'd be devastated if the Doctor regenerated again but this man with the different face and lovely accent was her Doctor. It was his soul that counted, not his body.

She pushed him away and looked him square in the eye.

"Wait. I need you to tell me. That day on this beach…"

"The worst day of your life," the Doctor said sombrely. She winced slightly; he reminded himself to ask her about it later.

"Finish what you were going to say. And don't you dare say 'Does it really need saying?' again or I'll steal your bow tie."

"Rose Tyler," he said with a soft laugh, "I love you."

"Finally," she said with a sigh before once again capturing his mouth in a kiss.

Suddenly, she pulled away again and asked tightly, "Then why did you leave me with John?"

He frowned.

"Who's John?"

"Oh right, you won't know. He's your clone."

"You named him John?" he asked disbelievingly.

"He named himself John," she said. "You always give your name as John Smith. It seemed fitting to call him that. Anyway, he couldn't go around as 'The Doctor'. That's you."

The Doctor made a sound of amusement in his throat as kissed up Rose's jaw to her ear.

"What?" she asked self-consciously. "And don't distract me. You didn't answer my question."

With a sigh, the Doctor stopped kissing her and instead rested his forehead against Rose's; he didn't want to lose contact with her skin in case she disappeared.

"You know why, I told you; I wanted you to calm him the way you did me. But…I wanted you to have what you'd always wished for. Rose, I wanted you to be happy, more than anything I've ever wanted in my entire life I wanted that for you. I thought that if you had me, in some sense, then you'd be happy and loved. So even though it tore me apart to do it, I left you again. I tried not to regret leaving you with him because it was what you wanted; to grow old with me. But I did. I wanted you by my side. I've met some brilliant people but none like you. When I regenerated, I met Amy and Rory-"

Rose didn't want to tell him about John, didn't want to get into his death; it had been hard enough just talking about his name. She knew that would be his next question so she jumped onto a new subject, one that needed to be discussed anyway.

"Rory Williams?"

The Doctor put his hands on either side of Rose's face.

"How do you know Rory?"

"He came through with Jack and the others. He just kept saying "Amy" over and over again. He wouldn't eat, barely slept but when a doctor checked him over he was fine."

"He was. Sort of. How did he get here?"

"I told you, he came through with Jack."

"Yes, I know, but how did he find Rory?"

Rose looked over her Doctor's shoulder.

"Ask him yourself."

Keeping one arm around Rose's waist, the Doctor turned to face his friends.

Amy was stood at the door of the TARDIS, practically glowing at how the Doctor was with Rose.

Jack was loping along the beach happily, his trademark grin on his face with Mickey and Martha trailing behind him, who were holding hands and arguing. The Doctor realised with a shock that Martha was obviously near her due date; he hadn't even known she was pregnant.

Jackie-_oh God, not Jackie_, the Doctor thought in a panic-was chatting away to a very pale and awkward-looking Rory, whose face lit up when he saw his wife.

"Changed again then I see?" Jack asked brightly. Rose closed her eyes and sighed.

"Found a friend of mine then I see?" the Doctor said, watching Jack warily.

Jack shrugged. "He was stuck between the universes. As we came through we saw him, told him to come with us. Anything was better than that place."

"What place?"

"We came through these Cracks. Before we got here we were in this…it's kinda hard to explain what it was like. Imagine a desert made of white light, nothing else there just light, light and more light. It was like that. And then we ended up in Pete's World."

Taking Rose's hand, the Doctor walked over to meet his companions, troubled by what Jack had said.

From her place by the door, Amy had watched the lovers reunite with a sore heart.

She wanted that for herself. She wanted Rory.

And then suddenly he was there, walking right towards her with a huge smile.

"Rory? Oh my God…RORY!"

Ignoring the questioning glances she got, Amy ran straight into him, tackling him to the sand.

"Amy. Oh, Amy," Rory gasped, burying his face into her neck, kissing her hair.

"I thought I'd never see you again," she cried, pulling him to his knees.

"I know, I know." He wiped her tears with his thumb as she kissed his away. "Amy…" he said blissfully.

"YOU!" Jackie howled, distracting the Doctor. "You left her! Again! With you!"

The Doctor backed away automatically. "Now, Jackie, lets calm ourselves…"

"Mum," Rose started in a bored voice; she had obviously heard this before.

"Come here," Jackie said sweetly, grabbing the Doctor in a bone-crushing hug. "That was the nicest thing. But still-"

"OW!" cried the Doctor, his cheek stinging with the force and speed of her slap. He hadn't even seen her hand coming.

"How? When? Why…?" Amy interrupted, much to the Doctor's gratification.

"I think that's what we all want to know," the Doctor said quietly.

"Then tell them, Doctor."

The Doctor turned in surprise.

"River? What are you doing here? How did you know where we were?"

"It doesn't matter, sweetie. Lets all go into the TARDIS and…discuss this rather interesting turn of events," she said smoothly, her eyes never leaving Rose.

Not liking the way River was looking at Rose, the Doctor pulled her close and led the way in.

"Did you give her a makeover?" Rose asked, running her hand along the console.

"I didn't have a choice; she was destroyed."

Rose looked up alarmed.

"She's fine," he said offhandedly. "Still sexy obviously. But guess what else I got?" He flicked his Screwdriver out. "A new Sonic!"

"It's green," Rose said blankly.

"Well done, Rose, you just learnt a colour," Mickey said as though talking to a five year old.

"Hey, time to shush, Mickey Mouse, or I'll send you back to HQ. You know, when we find a way back," Jack warned, albeit rather lamely. Martha glared at him.

"Excuse me? Minnie Mouse here, pregnant and pissed; I did not travel to a different universe and then to the bloody back of beyond just to have _him_"-she jabbed at a mortified Mickey with her thumb-"sent back. So it's time both of you shut it and let the Doctor talk."

Rose bit her lip to stop herself from laughing. River raised one eyebrow at her and smiled.

"Right, first of all: introductions," the Doctor said cheerfully.

"You are joking, right?" Mickey asked bluntly.

"Mickey," Martha growled.

With a sigh, everyone leant against various parts of the TARDIS and got comfortable.

"Well then. I am the Doctor; helloooo!" he sang. "Amy and River, this is Rose, Jack, Mickey and Martha."

"Nice to meet ya," Jack said flirtatiously, offering the two ladies a hand each. "It's actually Captain Jack Harkness, but I suppose you can just call me Jack."

"Jack," the Doctor warned. "They have husbands."

Jack merely smirked.

"By the way, loving the new face, Doctor, but I think I'm still a sucker for the skinny, messy-haired one."

"I had great hair," the Doctor said grumpily.

Mickey snorted.

"Great reunion," the Doctor murmured.

Rose giggled before saying, "New New New Doctor."

Her gaze locked on the TARDIS console and her eyes flickered gold. No one but River saw, her own eyes widening in disbelief.

"Doctor, when can we go back home?" Amy asked abruptly, moving closer to him, Rory following behind.

"Don't be taking me with you!" Jackie cried shrilly, causing them all to wince.

"I don't know if we can; this should be impossible."

"Nothing is impossible for us," said a voice like an echo of Rose's. "We live in impossibility."

Rose's eyelids fluttered.

"Excuse me?" River said rudely. Rose fell silent, her cheeks flaming with embarrassment and confusion. The Doctor frowned.

"Nothing…I just-I think we can get back. There's still a way open," she explained quietly.

"And how would you know that?" asked River somewhat coldly. Rose's eyes flashed.

"Because I'm the girl in the TARDIS, the TARDIS in the girl. I looked into the TARDIS and the TARDIS looked into me; we are one and the same." She cocked her head, a small smile on her face.

**But so are you. The girl forged in the TARDIS**_, _she said it softly, directing it only at River who realised with a shock that it had been a telepathic comment. No one else could hear.

Jack was watching Rose's every move, fear and concern etched into his face. He walked towards her, stopping directly in front of her and crouching so that he could see into her eyes. The Doctor shifted so that he could see her face clearly.

_How do you know?_ whispered River, her eyes wide in fear.

**I see everything. And here you are, created by the Time Vortex. Like me,** she added sadly.

"Rose, whatever you're doing stop. Let it go," the Doctor said firmly, though his hands were shaking.

Blinking away tears, Rose shuddered.

"Doctor, what's wrong with her?" Jackie asked, her voice trembling.

"You took that out of her," Jack cut in sharply. "It went back into her heart."

"What are you talking about? Who's heart? What's wrong with Rose? Please, someone tell me," Jackie pleaded.

Jack put a hand on Jackie's shoulder and looked over at Mickey who nodded.

"Jacks, why don't we go get a cup of tea, yeah?"

He put an arm around her shoulder and steered her out. With a sigh Martha followed them, muttering, "He'd better still have those biscuits I love, I could do with a sugar rush right about now…"


	5. Explanations and Examinations

**Chapter Five**

**Explanations and Examinations**

Whilst the Doctor, Jack and River were frozen in varying degrees of worry about varying subjects, Amy and Rory decided to go to their room, leaving Rose to the TARDIS' version of the Spanish Inquisition.

"Rose, can you feel anything different?"

"Rose, did John tell you what was in your mind?"

"Rose, how do you know who I am?"

"Rose, does it hurt?"

"Rose, are you still human?"

"Rose, what's wrong?"

Rose pressed a hand to her forehead as she felt a killer headache coming on.

"One question at a time," she mumbled, trying to keep them in focus and failing.

The Doctor moved forward slowly before feeling her cheek with the back of his hand.

"Rose, you're burning up!"

She snorted at his choice of words.

The Doctor suddenly remembered what Jack had said, and looked down at Rose with a frown.

"Rose, where is John?"

Her breath caught in her throat. Jack looked on in confusion.

"You don't know?" he asked the Doctor.

"Know what?"

Jack swallowed uneasily. "Rosie, do you want me to-?"

"No," she said sharply. "I'll tell him. Please…go."

He nodded, and gestured for River to come with him. When the Doctor and Rose were alone, he turned to her.

"Tell me what?" he asked cautiously.

Rose closed her eyes. It was easier to talk that way, and it eased the pain building in her head.

"He died," she blurted out. She had meant to say it in a much nicer, gentler way. "He-oh God-he was sick. His heart and his mind were sick. He said it was like a transplant, like his body was rejecting his Time Lord mind. There was too much there. He said it was like a poison to his human heart."

She suddenly burst into tears as pain she still felt from John's death crashed down upon her again.

The Doctor closed his eyes, wishing he could close his ears to her painful sobs.

"Rose," he said huskily.

"Doctor, bring him back," she begged, stumbling over to him, clutching at his jacket with trembling hands. "Please…I was horrible to him. I loved him but I was s-so _angry _with you for just leaving and-"

"He wasn't me," he finished. He opened his eyes to see her staring at him with something akin to terror in her eyes.

"Do you hate me?" she asked tremulously.

"No. Oh, Rose, never."

She fell to the floor, and he went with her, wrapping her in his arms as they became a tangle of limbs. He held her until her tears dried and her breathing relaxed.

"Rose, I need to look at you properly, find out what's wrong," he said gently.

"You already know," she whispered into his chest. "Please don't do that. I don't want to feel like some specimen you found. I want to be just Rose."

"Ok," he breathed. "I promise. Just Rose."

But she was never just Rose, she was his Rose. Beautiful, brilliant Rose.

He had a horrible feeling that this wasn't over. One way or another he'd get answers, whether they were the ones he wanted or not. He dragged himself away from his thoughts.

"So," he said uneasily, stroking her hair. "You could come with me? You know…if you want. You'd have to stay away from Earth post-2007 obviously but there are still so many places we could go. If you want," he added.

She laughed. "You know I love you and you still have to ask?"

He cleared his throat. "Yes."

"Yeah," she answered, before kissing him softly. "I'm coming with you."

"How long are you going to stay with me?" he asked. Even though he knew what she'd say, he was still afraid.

"Forever."

Jack sat in the library, remembering the laughs he, Rose and the Doctor used to have in there. Rory and Amy sat opposite him, talking quietly to each other while River sat beside him, watching the couple sadly.

"Something up?" he asked her, keeping his voice low so that the others wouldn't hear.

"Fine. Why wouldn't I be?" She smiled at him, but it didn't quite reach her eyes.

"'Cause you're watching them with a lost-little-girl look on your face," he said gently. "Did you just break up with a guy? Or have you never found love? If it's that, I'll be happy to give you a crash course."  
>River laughed, throwing her head back.<p>

"Oh, I've found love alright. He just doesn't love me back."

"The Doctor?"

"The Doctor," she said solemnly. "I love him."

"Don't we all," he muttered, stretching.

"I've never heard him talk about Rose. Ever. And she knew me. I don't like it, it doesn't feel right."

"No, it's odd, and normally I like odd but not today. Today I want answers."

"So do I," said a voice as the Doctor walked over to River, surprising them all by his sudden appearance. Amy and Rory looked over.

"Who are you?

Amy got to her feet, pulling Rory up with her.

"Doctor, what are you doing?" asked Amy angrily.

"I'm tired of you not telling me. Tell me who you are!" he demanded.

"Why don't you ask the lovely Rose?" she said sweetly.

"Don't," he warned darkly. "Don't even try it."

"Why? Is there something wrong with her?" Rory cut in.

"She's fine," snapped the Doctor.

"No she's not," said Jack abruptly. "You know what it is, and you know what happened last time. Where is she? Is she ok?" he added worriedly.

"She's _fine_," he repeated. His eyes softened at the concern on Jack's face. "She's in her room sleeping."

Jack stood. "Think I'll go join her," he said with a wink.

The Doctor glared at him.

"I'm kidding," he laughed, holding his hands up. "I just wanna see she's ok with my own eyes."  
>He waited for the Doctor to nod before leaving.<p>

"Rose knows who I am," River said softly, her eyes watering slightly.

"She won't remember. It's not her that knows. Not really. But I want to know," he added harshly.

"I can't," she breathed. "Please, my love, you must wait."

"No, no more waiting. Tell me the truth now!"

"No."

"Rose, wait!" they heard Jack call.

The room flashed with gold as Rose stood in the doorway, her figure outlined by dazzling light behind and around her. What scared the Doctor even more was that the light seemed to be coming _from_ her. She half-sang:

"_Demons Run when a good man goes to war,_

_Night will fall and drown the sun,_

_When a good man goes to war,_

_Friendship dies and true love lies,_

_Night will fall and dark will rise,_

_When a good man goes to war,_

_Demons Run but count the cost,_

_The battle's won but the child is lost_."

"Rose, you have to stop. You'll burn!" the Doctor shouted, reminding himself forcefully of the last time he said similar words to her. His hearts constricted with fear.

River paled. "It was you…so much like you," she whispered.

Rose gasped, a deep, shuddering, breath, as she collapsed to the floor, her knees giving out beneath her.

"Doctor…" she said, her voice ragged.

Rose looked up at him, tears streaking her face. He stared back at her, completely frozen. Her eyes were a deep brown again, all traces of gold gone.

"I brought you here. All of you. I created holes between the universes in the Cracks. You closed them all and then I reopened them, changing their purpose. I pulled you all through. I even brought myself here, without knowing. I need to go home. I have to be there."

"Rosie-" Jack started.

"No!" Her eyes flared gold with anger.

"I don't just create myself. I create life."

"I don't understand!" yelled the Doctor.

"You will." She turned her gaze to River. "You must return. He will come for you."

"I know," she whispered.

"They will know."

"I know."

"I know everything. I know about the good man. I know what you've done."

"How?"

Rose ignored her question.

"I forgive you. And I will help you every time, I promise."

"Is it you?"

Rose smiled. "Spoilers."

River laughed.

"Why can't you tell us now?" asked Rory and the Doctor together.

"Demons Run. You will know at Demons Run. Only then can you know."

She turned to Amy, her eyes filled with sorrow.

"And I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

Amy stepped back. "Why? Why are you sorry? What happens? What do you know? If you know, stop it!"

Rose laughed dryly. "I wish I could but there are some things that have to happen," she said quietly before slumping to the floor, unconscious.

The TARDIS made a mournful sound. They all stayed where they were, staring down at her body.

The word 'body' jolted the Doctor into action; it wasn't a body, it was _Rose_.

"Rose, wake up, look at me, say something, tell me you're ok, please!"

"Doc, she's not there," Jack said heavily, placing a hand on his friend's shoulder.

"Yes she is! I'll find her!" he yelled, shrugging Jack off. "I'll find her," he repeated to himself.

He put two fingers to each of her temples and closed his eyes. He needed to stay calm in Rose's mind or he'd give himself over to her completely.

"Forgive me," he whispered.

Then he went in.

Straight away, her mind overwhelmed him. It was human with an edge; a burning golden edge hidden beneath her pink-and-yellow human mind that blinded his own, making it even harder for him to concentrate,. It hummed with activity, sounding too much like the TARDIS. Her unconscious thoughts thrummed around him.

He dug through them gently, trying to get to the heart of her mind where he knew she'd be. Gone was the pink and yellow, instead a rich red and gold surrounded him now. This was the Rose Tyler that had travelled with him.

**I always wanted you to do this. But you never did**_._

Her voice echoed through his mind.

_I was too scared. If I let you in, I'd never be able to stop. _

**So?**

He chuckled.

**Are you going to make me leave**_**? **_

_Why would I do that? I need you, _he said sadly as her fear bled through their connection.

**Because of what's in my head. **

_What's in your head, Rose? Tell me what's there and I swear to you, if you want it gone I'll make it go away. _

**You can't. We're bound together; without the other we die. **

_Rose, what's in your head?_

…**The Bad Wolf**_**. **_

A song blasted through her mind and into his. It was a song so like his and the TARDIS'. It washed away his loneliness, as though another Time Lord was nearby. It did nothing to calm his fear.

**Doctor, what's wrong with me? I see everything and it hurts. I see all of their deaths; Mickey's, Mum's, Martha's…even their baby's! Every death ever except yours and River's and Jack's.**

_I die, Rose. I'm not immortal. _

**You haven't died yet. What happened in Utah can be unwritten. **

_What are you talking about? _

**I can't say yet.**

_Rose-_

**I can see my own death. I die in battle. **

_No. That prophecy came true. It's not going to happen again. I won't let it._

**You said that last time and you lied. You said I wouldn't.**

_Well…technically you didn't. You're here now, living and breathing. _

**The Beast was still right. The Valiant Child will die in battle.**

Suddenly he was back on that Godforsaken piece of rock.

"…_and the lost girl, so far away from home. The Valiant Child who will die in battle so very soon."_

"_Doctor, what does it mean?"_

"_Rose, don't listen." _

"_What does it mean?" _

Whatever fear he felt before was nothing compared to now.

_Rose, listen to me. I won't lose you again. I will keep you safe even if I have to sacrifice the whole universe to do it. I promised Jackie. _

She shared a memory with him, trying to convey the message that he wouldn't accept.

"_You know what? They keep on trying to split us up but they never will."_

"_Never say never ever," warned the Doctor. _

"_Nah, we'll always be ok, you and me. Don't you reckon, Doctor?_

"_There's something in the air. There's something coming."_

"_What?"_

"_A storm's approaching."_

He snapped.

_Rose, stop it! _

**You knew then as I know now. You are the Oncoming Storm, my Doctor. When two storms collide there is always a fallout. I will die in that battle. **

_I'll save you, just tell me how! _

**No. You have to let it happen. I will never tell you when it is. I will never tell you how I die. But I can tell you that it is so far away. We have so much time.**

_But not forever. _

**It was never for forever. I wither and die, you said so yourself. **

The Doctor withdrew from her mind abruptly, causing her to cry out in anguish. Amy and Rory were gone, though Jack and River remained, both faces creased in worry.

"What happened? Is she ok?"

"It's the Bad Wolf. It's in her mind. She keeps saying…she told me…"

He took a deep breath.

"She can see everything. She knows everyone's life and everyone's death, but not ours."

"Well I wonder why," said Jack dryly. The Doctor glared at him.

"She's rewritten my death, Jack. She shouldn't have that power."

"Why couldn't she see my death?" River asked, hoping she was feigning confusion well enough. The Doctor's eyes hardened.

"That's just what I was about to ask you."


	6. So Long and Goodnight

**Chapter Six**

**So Long and Goodnight**

Rose had never really believed in being 'lost in thought'. She was always aware of everything around her. The Doctor would call it perceptive. Rose thought she was just nosy.

However, now it seemed that she _was_ lost in thought, or at least trapped there. After the Doctor left her mind she had felt cold. She was scared and alone and confused. If she had accepted what was happening to her, why couldn't the Doctor?

_Because he knows it will kill me,_ she thought calmly.

Death no longer scared her. She knew what it was like to live without the Doctor, nothing could be worse than that, not even death.

She wanted to soothe him, to push away his worries but she knew he'd never listen. Once the Doctor had an enemy he didn't stop until it was destroyed.

She wanted to wake up so that she could make him believe that her death was far away. They were in a time machine, it could be postponed for years if needs be.

But Rose was the Bad Wolf, the Bad Wolf was Rose. There was no separating them and as long as they were together they survived.

She mentally smiled at the irony. They needed each other to live but would eventually kill each other. But it was worth it. The Doctor was worth it.

_We both know the Doctor is worth the monsters._

Rose suddenly wanted to scream. Only she would remember Madame de Pompadour whilst she was trapped within her own mind with just her memories for company.

Now she started to doubt her decision. Did the Doctor really want her to stay? Had he just asked her to be polite? He'd had companions since her, beautiful women with their own minds and opinions. As much as Rose liked them all she wondered if she could watch another fall in love with him and maybe, just maybe, see him return the feeling. The thought that she was the exception seemed laughable at that moment.

But…he had given her a clone of himself _and _he said he loved her.

Rose felt like the innocent nineteen year old who first ran away with the Doctor all over again.

She needed to wake up.

Rose gasped as though she'd been rescued from drowning, her chest heaving. She realised with embarrassment that she was covered in sweat.

"Rose," she heard the Doctor say.

"Don't leave me," she mumbled. She reached for him blindly. He caught her hand.

"I'm here, I'm right here. I'm not going anywhere."

"The gap's closing," she heard someone else say. "We need to go."

"No," she choked. "I need to say bye to Mum."

"I'll get her," Jack murmured. She felt a hand stroke her brow.

"Rose, open your eyes."

Rose shook her head.

"Why?"

"Don't want to. I'll see things I don't want to see."

"Push them away," the Doctor said gently. "Focus on me."  
>Rose took a deep breath, her hold on the Doctor's hand tightening. Slowly she opened her eyes. The Doctor knelt in front of her, his eyes the first thing she saw.<p>

"Hello," he said softly. She let out a shaky breath. He frowned and opened his mouth to say something. He wasn't fast enough.

"Rose!" shrieked Jackie. "What's going on?"

With the Doctor's help Rose stand, her legs shaking slightly.

"Mum," she started, her voice trembling.

"I know, sweetheart. You're going with him. I knew it the minute I saw him."

"I'm-"

"Don't be sorry. I did it for your dad; I can't have a go at you doing it for him."

The two women wiped away their tears. Rose stepped away from the Doctor, towards her mother, who caught her in a hug.

"I love you, Rose. Don't forget about me and your dad."

"I love you, too. And don't let Tony forget about his big sister."

They let go of each other, keeping their hands linked, and laughed.

"He'll grow up hearing stories about Rose Tyler. You and the Doctor. I'll tell him all about where you've been, where you've flown in this bloody box!"

_And you—you've flown so far. Further than anyone. The things you've seen. The darkness, the big bad wolf._

Rose shook her head to rid herself of the memory. The Doctor stepped forward in concern.

"You have to go. I love you so much, Rose. Just be happy, yeah?"

"I will. You too."

They walked to the doors in silence.

"I always knew this would happen. You're too special to be stuck on Earth."

"Bye, Mum," Rose said in a choked voice.

"Bye, sweetheart."

Jackie kissed her forehead like she did when Rose was a child before walking out of the TARDIS, her hand pressed to her mouth.

Rose closed her eyes.

The Doctor stepped behind her, resting his chin on her shoulder. She leant into him, tears falling thick and fast, the exhaustion she felt minutes ago returning. The Doctor scowled at what the Bad Wolf was doing to her, anger welling up inside him.

The TARDIS shook suddenly.

"We have movement!" Jack yelled from the controls, struggling to keep himself and River upright.

The Doctor pulled Rose into a corridor before turning and staring hard at her.

"Are you doing this?"

Rose nodded, not meeting his eyes.

"Stop. Stop it. Stop it right now. GET OUT OF HER HEAD AND STOP!"

"Doctor!" Amy cried, rushing towards the two.

He looked down at a trembling Rose, his hands gripping the tops of her arms. She glanced up at him quickly and he saw fear in her eyes.

He staggered backwards, his hands suddenly burning. Amy put a hand on Rose's shoulder and glared at him. He barely noticed.

Rose was afraid of him. He had _made_ her afraid of him.

He saw her wipe her eyes and his hearts sank even lower.

"Rose," he started, not knowing what he was about to say. "I'm sorry," he said hoarsely, reaching out to hold her.

"Don't," she said coldly. He froze, his hand hovering over her bare-and rapidly bruising-skin. He felt sick with self-loathing.

"Until you can control yourself, don't touch me."

She walked away stiffly, her arms wrapped around herself, leaving the Doctor with a furious Amy Pond.

"What the hell was that about? You get the girl of your dreams back ad then attack her?" she snarled.

The Doctor closed his eyes in shame.

"I don't know what happened, I don't even remember grabbing her! I was so scared and angry and I-"

"Lost it," finished Amy flatly. He nodded, unable to meet her eyes.

"You know for a genius you can be pretty thick sometimes."

"Oi! That's-"

"No, Doctor, listen for once. Whatever this is that's happening to her she has no control of it but it does what she wants, it follows her. She knows that it might-and possibly already is-killing her. Did she get angry and stupid like you? No. She brought you back to her," Amy said in a softer voice. "She wants to be with you even if it hurts her. She tried, Doctor. She's still trying."

"And that's what makes all of the difference," he murmured to himself, remembering his musings only hours ago.

Amy nodded. "Look, I need to get some sleep. It's been…an interesting day."

"Of course. Goodnight, Pond."

"Sleep well."

The Doctor snorted the idea of sleeping peacefully absurd to him, especially now.

The second he made his mind up on what to do instead he heard, "Don't go to her."

Without turning he replied, "I thought you went to bed."

"Give her time. She won't want to see you right now."

The Doctor sighed.

"I'll just…go to my room and design a new kind of screwdriver then."

He turned slightly and saw Amy nod.

"Thank you," he said, hating how unsteady his voice sounded. She watched him expressionlessly.

"Goodnight, Doctor."


	7. Love and Loss

I forgot to put a disclaimer in my last few chapters so just in case anyone forgot, I don't own Doctor Who.

I'd also like to once again thank everyone who's reading, favourite-ing, story-alerting, reviewing (and any other -ing) Time; all of you have made me feel a lot more confident about this story and posting fanfics in general so a big, big thank you.

And now on with the story.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Seven<strong>

**Love and Loss**

The Doctor sat on the stairs, staring at the TARDIS doors. Everyone else was sleeping, or at least in their rooms, and the Doctor was alone again. His thoughts swirled around his vast Time Lord mind at warp speed, his mood swinging from one extreme to another.

Then his ever-changing ideas began to form.

He needed to see Rose. He needed to give her space. He needed to apologise. He needed to let her forgive him in her own time.

What if she didn't forgive him?

What would he do then? He'd only just got her back; he couldn't lose her because he let his temper get out of control.

But he'd hurt her. He, the Doctor, had physically hurt her, Rose Tyler.

He buried his head in his hands.

He'd always thought he could never hate himself as much as he had when he'd killed his entire planet.

But now?

He was giving that thought a run for its money.

That stopped him dead.

Did he love her more than he'd ever loved Gallifrey, more than all of his friends and family?

The answer was instantaneous.

_Yes. More than anything, yes._

She might leave. What if she decided life would be better with Jack and Torchwood?

All the air on the TARDIS seemed to suddenly disappear.

He was up and running towards her room before he realised what he was doing.

He skidded to a halt just before he reached her door, realising that barrelling into it and knocking it off its hinges probably wouldn't win him any brownie points.

He touched the door gently, wondering whether to knock or talk. He decided to go with the latter, thinking that at least then she could pretend she was asleep. He didn't think he could take it if she opened the door only to slam it in his face when she saw who it was.

"Rose? Rose, please open the door. I need to talk to you," he pleaded, his hand still resting on the door.

Lying on her bed, Rose shut her eyes tightly, her heart pounding. She wanted to tell him to get lost, to be strong for once. But she was Rose Tyler. She would deny the Doctor nothing.

He was both her ultimate weakness and her amazing strength.

Breathing deep to calm herself, she got off the bed slowly and walked to the door.

She wasn't scared of him. She was nervous about how he would act with her after what he'd done, true, but not afraid of him personally. She could never fear him.

There was too much good in him, a light that far outshone the darkness.

Rose put her hand where the Doctor's was, the two mirroring one another on opposite sides of the door.

"Are you gonna hurt me again?" she asked gently, no judgement or anger in her voice. The Doctor swallowed painfully.

"No. I promise you I will never hurt you again."

"Never say never ever," she said sadly.

When he spoke his voice sounded deeper, more emotional, every word bleeding sincerity.

"Yes, we can. In this case we can say that. Because I mean it, I swear on Gallifrey that I will never hurt you again."

The door opened slowly.

Rose looked out at him, her eyes wary. He noticed the tear tracks down her face, the way she positioned herself so that the door was in front of her, protecting her from him.

He had never wanted to crawl into a ball and cry more in his entire life.

"Hello," he said softly.

"Hello," she echoed.

"I'm sorry," he whispered. He didn't move forward, instead letting her choose the first move.

"I know."

"Rose-"

"Doctor, I forgive you. And no, it doesn't change anything. I know you're worried and angry but you need to trust me. I know what I'm at least…the Bad Wolf does," she murmured, the tiniest of smiles on her face.

"I'm still sorry, I always will be."

"I'm not scared of you," she said firmly. "I was worried about how you'd be with me but I wasn't afraid."

"I'm a scary person, Rose," he said seriously.

She shrugged, smirking. "You've lost your touch. Like this you're more 'Eccentric Professor' than 'Oncoming Storm'."

He rolled his eyes. "It's the tweed, isn't it? I didn't have much choice though, there were aliens attacking Earth. Again."

"Jeopardy friendly. Just like me," she said lightly, smiling.

"Like you," he confirmed with a nod.

This was how they should be; joking, teasing, sarcastic comments, all said with a smile.

Their eyes met.

Something changed between them. They continued to look at each other, the rise and fall of their chests matching. The burning in Rose's mind was nothing compared to how she felt standing in close proximity to the Doctor. With a moan of frustration she threw the door wide open, darting forward and throwing her arms around the Doctor's neck. He caught her, pulling her so close he could feel the buttons on her shirt digging into his chest. Their lips met, their need for each other consuming every movement.

"I know you're scared," she breathed, "and I know you hate whatever's in my mind-"

"No. I can't hate any part of you, it's impossible," he said against her lips. "I don't want it to destroy you, I couldn't-I can't imagine being without you again."

"Stay with me," Rose whispered, her lips at his ear. "Stay all night."

"And all morning if we want," he laughed.

"Will you stay forever?"

"For you I'll stay forever," he said so quietly she barely heard him.

She closed her eyes, savouring how it felt to have him talk to her like this, holding nothing back, to have him holding her, touching her, feeling the double heartbeat that was as comforting to her as the beating of her own heart.

They smiled simultaneously; a lovesick, dopey grin that both found endearing on the other. She untangled herself from him and took his hand, pulling him gently into her room.

He realised with a shock how ruffled they looked, clothes and hair askew. He hoped no one awoke and came looking for him. He closed the door and turned to face her.

They reached for each other instantly, fire dancing where their skin met. He kissed her deeply, pouring all of his love into it.

He'd loved before but he knew now that it was nothing compared to how he felt for Rose. This love was eternal; he would never move on from her, could never forget her or how it felt to kiss her or how it was to hold her in his arms.

Time Lords weren't supposed to love like this. They weren't supposed to feel desire. True, he'd fought it with everything he'd had but now…if this was surrender then he was happy to be a bad Time Lord. He wanted to love her in every way possible.

She broke away reluctantly, noticing that he'd gone off in his own little world.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" she asked somewhat breathlessly, uncertainty in her eyes.

"Why, don't you?" he asked in alarm, thinking he'd read the signals wrong.

Rose rolled her eyes.

"I've wanted to do this for…a very long time. I always thought you didn't want to; thought you didn't want me."

"I love you and I need you and I want you," he said huskily, his fingers drawing patterns on her skin.

"That's all I needed to hear," she said blissfully, their lips meeting again as the two tumbled onto the bed, both thinking of how truly fortunate they were to love and be loved in return by the other.

When Rose awoke the next morning, or whatever time it was wherever they-

"We're in the Vortex," a voice said softly from above her head.

Rose frowned in confusion, still half-asleep. It dawned on her that she was back in her room onboard the TARDIS. With a jolt she remembered everything, her cheeks flushing when she realised who the voice belonged to.

That was also when Rose realised her pillow was warm, rather bony and had a double heartbeat. She sat bolt upright, dizziness attacking her already sluggish mind.

The Doctor raised his eyebrows, amusement plain on his face as a smirk played around his mouth.

_God, he looks sexy,_ she thought dazedly.

"You stayed," Rose said groggily, aware that her hair was probably a complete mess.

"You asked me to," he replied, sitting up next to her and kissing her temple.

"I know but…I didn't think you would!"

He laughed, running his hands through her hair so that it fell straight. She smiled dozily at how in tune he was to her.

"I've spent too long away from you, too long not telling you how I felt. We need to make up for lost time."  
>Rose snorted. "How romantic."<p>

The Doctor blushed. "I didn't mean it like _that_."

"I know. We should get ready, go…out there."

The Doctor sighed. "We should. But…"

"But?"

He traced kisses down her neck, one hand on the small of her back, the other cupping her face.

"We could do something else."

"Really?"

The Doctor nodded, his mouth on her shoulder. Rose shivered and turned slightly more towards him

"I like this 'but'."

She put her hand on his hip, the other linking around his shoulder.

"God, you're so skinny, even skinnier than last time. It's not fair."

"Because you're so fat yourself," he said sarcastically.

She punched him. He pulled her against him, trapping her in his arms.

Suddenly she hissed in pain.

He let go of her immediately.

"What? What's wrong?"

She shook her head. He glanced at the top of her arms which were now covered in vaguely hand-shaped bruises.

"Oh, Rose. I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to-"

"Doctor," Rose said patiently.

"I promised I wouldn't hurt you ever and I did-"

"Doctor," she repeated.

"If I-"

"Doctor!"

"What?" he asked bemusedly.

"Shut up and kiss me," she complained, humour in her voice.

"Rose, I'm trying to apologise and-"

She distracted him with a kiss, running her hand through his hair.

They fell back, arms and legs tangled, never breaking their kiss, pulling each other closer, falling deeper when-

"Rise and shine, Ro-OH MY GOD!"

"Jack," Rose hissed, hastily pulling the covers over her and a bright-red Doctor.

"Well, well, well…looky what we have _here_. It took you guys long enough!"

"Jack, next time for God's sake _knock_!"

"Next time?" he asked, waggling his eyebrows.

"I'm not saying you can come in again while we're-Jack, what did you want?" she said quickly.

"Oh, it doesn't matter now. But whilst I'm here…"

Jack grinned mischievously.

"What are you-Jack, no!" the Doctor cried as Jack launched himself onto the bed, landing on top of them.

"Get off me and my bed now," Rose said, attempting to push the deadweight that was Jack away.

"You're both naked under there," he said with an evil smirk, wriggling as though trying to get comfortable.

"Oh my God, Jack, get out!" Rose screamed as Jack chuckled, clearly having the time of his life teasing the two.

The Doctor had hidden under the covers, willing his face to return to its usual paleness. He felt the weight lift and heard Jack's laughter grow fainter until finally the door shut and it was silent.

Rose pulled back the covers and saw the Doctor's face. It was all it took for her to burst into uncontrollable giggles.

"Stop it," he moaned, embarrassed by her reaction. "It's not funny!"

"Your face," she said, laughs punctuating her voice. "Oh God, your face."

"If he ever," the Doctor said darkly, "does that again, he is getting kicked off the TARDIS and never getting setting foot on her again. _Ever_."

"I know, I know. It's bad and we'll have to talk to him. To everyone," she added seriously.

"I think they already know," the Doctor said in a stage-whisper. "I have been pining over you since the moment you left."

"Pining, really? That's so attractive in a man."

"Ah but you're forgetting; I'm not man. I'm so much more."

"And modest, too."

Rose turned on her side, her hair fanned out around her, eyes glittering with amusement and delight. The Doctor's chest tightened; he had never felt more blessed to have met her.

"You're so beautiful," he whispered, resting his hand on her neck, right where he could feel her pulse. He gazed at her, drinking in the image before him, knowing he would never grow tired of just looking at her.

Rose shifted under the scrutiny and stared resolutely at his bare shoulder.

The Doctor stared at her in confusion. "What?"

"Nothing," she mumbled. "We should get dressed, drop everyone off."

"Rose, what's wrong?"

She ignored him, got out of bed and headed for the bathroom. He closed his eyes, missing how she staggered slightly as she entered the other room.

"Rose!" he called again, reopening his eyes. Sighing when she didn't reply, though he hadn't expected her to, he went after her.

He opened the door, saying, "What did I-?"  
>He froze, his eyes immediately drawn to the red pool on the floor. Then he noticed her lying beside it. It took his Time Lord brain far too long to realise that it was Rose's blood.<p>

Rose had always said red was for danger, typical human. Now she had finally proved they were right.

She had fallen awkwardly, one arm twisted behind her and her head thrown backwards. He realised that she must have been aiming for the sink when she collapsed.

His numbed limbs suddenly burned into life and he dropped to his knees beside her, automatically going for his Sonic.

He remembered he was naked.

"Hold on," he said hoarsely, putting his hand on her shoulder lightly for a moment; she was far too hot. He scrambled to his feet and ran back into her room, where he started rummaging through a pile of clothes for his jacket.

"Come on…stupid Time Lords…bigger on the inside…no good in an emergency…" he muttered, finding it easier to calm down by moaning to himself.

When he got back and saw her again, all that panic came back with a vengeance.

He scanned her hurriedly, noting with relief that she was breathing regularly. Why hadn't he noticed that before?

He pulled at a towel and covered her; he was going to need help.

BLINK

In Rose's eyes, heart and mind the Bad Wolf woke, painting her insides gold.

And in that second the Bad Wolf and Rose coexisted. They could survive together, give control to one another. The Bad Wolf was now Rose's just as much as Rose was the Bad Wolf's. They were truly one.

Together, they were invincible; the Immortal Goddess of Time and her powers all wrapped up in one human mind.

Knowing what she had to do, Rose reached out to the TARDIS.

Time stopped.

BLINK

When the Doctor reopened his eyes, Rose was gone.

He was vaguely aware that he was hyperventilating, his hearts crashing against his ribs.

BLINK

Where could she go? The TARDIS' shields were up, she couldn't have been taken.

BLINK

Unless it was the Bad Wolf? Just as he thought this, his mind burst into flames.

BLINK

The Bad Wolf was in his mind, her golden light hurting his vast mind. But it wasn't just her.

It was Rose.

_I'm so sorry but you have to forget, go on as you would have. When the time is right, I will come back to you and you will remember, I promise. I love you. You have until your next blink. It's like that saying: gone in the blink of an eye. I wish it wasn't like that now. But it is. Forgive me._

He fought until his eyes watered but eventually:

BLINK


	8. Roses, Rivers and Ponds

**Disclaimer: **Sadly, I still don't own Doctor Who.

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><p><strong>Chapter Eight<strong>

**Roses, Rivers and Ponds**

"I said breathe, Pond. Remember? Well. Breathe," said the Doctor, knowing with heavy hearts what was happening.

"Why?" asked Amy.

"Breathe," he repeated.

_Amy doubled over, her arms around her stomach._  
>"What's wrong with her?" Rory asked worriedly, leaning over her protectively.<p>

"Get her into the TARDIS," was all the Doctor said.

Supporting Amy, Rory followed him.

"Doctor, _what_ is happening to her?" asked Rory, frustration and fear leaking into his voice.

The Doctor didn't turn around to face them. Right where he was staring stood Rose. He couldn't see her, not yet. She had learnt much since she left. She knew how to shield her mind from his, how to make people's eyes look through her. She took in his face, how he looked older, more tired; she knew it was because she had left. He might have forgotten but deep in his mind he knew something was missing. Something he needed. His voice jolted her back to reality.

"Contractions."

"Contractions?" Rory asked, confused.

"She's going into labour," he said simply.

"What did he say?" Amy gasped as Rory turned to her, putting his hands on her waist. "No, no, no. Of course he didn't. Rory, I don't like this."

She clutched at her stomach and nearly fell to her knees with the pain. Still hiding, Rose closed her eyes. She didn't want to be here. She didn't want to see this.

"You're going to have to start explaining some of this to me, Doctor," Rory called, torn between going over to the Doctor and forcing him to look at them, and cradling his wife.

"What, the birds and the bees?" he said, smiling ever so slightly. "She's having a baby," he said as he began to ramble. Rory looked from him to Amy's face and then to her stomach.

"I needed to see the Flesh in its early days. That's why I scanned it, that's why we were there in the first place. I was going to drop you off for fish and chips first. But things happened and there was stuff and _shenanigans_. Beautiful word; shenanigans," he repeated before finally turning to face them.

_Still rude, _Rose thought, mostly to take her mind off what was happening in front of her. She hadn't realised she was this early; she was meant to arrive as this was ending.

Rory was murmuring to Amy, trying to ignore his own panic and comfort her at the same time.

"I needed enough information to block the signal to the Flesh," the Doctor said harshly.

"What signal?"

He hesitated for just a moment before saying softly, "The signal to you."

"Doctor…"

He lifted his chin almost defensively. He was shutting down, Rose realised sadly. He couldn't do this with his emotions. He would wear his Time Lord mask. She wondered whether that was the mask anymore, or if his more human personality was the façade. She shook her head to rid herself of the thought. The Doctor was hers no matter what. She was hardly human herself anymore; who was she to judge?

"Stand away from her, Rory," he said, not meeting either of their eyes.

"Why? No and why?" asked Rory, pulling Amy closer to him, his eyes shining with unshed tears.

"Given what we've learned I'll be as humane as I can but I need to do this and you need to stand away!"

Rose felt tears leak from under her tightly closed eyelids. She knew right now he hated himself for what he was about to do. She could imagine the storm clouds gathering in his eyes, already thinking of the people who did this to his best friend, planning his revenge.

Rory looked between the Doctor and Amy. Making what was probably the hardest decision of his life, he stepped away from her slowly.

Amy stared at him in disbelief, holding onto his hand even tighter as he tried to let go of hers.

Suddenly, she was angry as well as scared. Rory was leaving her. Rory, the one person she would stand by no matter what, the person she had quite literally gone through Hell and back for, was leaving her. She threw his hand away.

_You'll be ok,_ Rose thought to her. _I promise you will be ok._

She turned to the Doctor, tears in her eyes.

"Doctor, I am frightened. I'm properly, properly scared."

"Don't be, hold on. We're coming for you, I swear. Whatever happens, however hard, however far, we will find you," he said, emotion bleeding through his voice. His mask was slipping.

He cupped her face, looking her straight in the eye. She held onto his arm, a small smile on her face.

"I'm right here."

"No, you're not. You haven't been here for a long, long time."

He shook off her arm and reached for his Screwdriver. Rory felt his breath hitch in his throat as he forced himself not to run to her like his instinct was telling him.

"Oh, no," she said as the Doctor aimed the Screwdriver at her.

Her flesh remains fell to the floor in a puddle.

Now was Rose's time.

She stepped forward, feeling slightly awkward as Rory cried. The Doctor turned away, not wanting to show how much 'killing' Amy had hurt him.

And then he saw her.

Everything came rushing back, causing his knees to buckle. He grabbed onto the console, breathing deeply as his memories reordered themselves.

Behind him, the same happened to Rory, although not so forcefully. His time from the other universe was not exactly something he had wanted to remember.

And far away in a birthing tube, Amy remembered too. She had little time to dwell on it; her baby was on its way.

Even further away, River Song slumped onto a chair. She wondered whether she would ever meet Rose Tyler again, and if she did whether she would ever get any answers from her. She sighed. Of course they would meet again.

It was time for the Battle of Demons Run.

Back on the TARDIS, the Doctor could only say three words.

"You left me."

Rose bit her lip, unsure of what to say.

"You promised me forever, spent the night with me and then left, taking my memories with you."

She stared at him, love, fear and guilt in her eyes. It only added to the fury the Doctor was feeling.

"Why? Do I even get an explanation or do I have to guess? Was there some ulterior motive, or did you-?"

"It was different when it was you though, yeah?" she screamed suddenly, tears running down her face.

"What?" he breathed, still angry but now slightly sheepish at his behaviour as her words hit a nerve.

"When you used to leave me," she said shakily, "I never asked for anything. I was just happy you came back. I was always afraid that one day you wouldn't."

He realised what she was trying to say.

"You want me to accept that you disappeared without any kind of explanation and be glad that you're back without any kind of explanation as to where you've been?"

She nodded. Seeing how tense she looked he sighed.

"Alright. I'm glad you're back, really I am. I know you took away my memories but I still felt it, I knew something was wrong. It's only now I know that it was you. Just answer me this: why did you make me forget?" he asked, his voice low.

Without speaking she walked towards him and held out her hand.

"I want to show you everything," she said slowly, as though talking to a toddler, "but I can't. You can never enter my mind again. It'll kill you. Please," she begged softly for he had started to speak. "Just give me the chance to tell you as much as I can."

He stared at her coldly and when he spoke his voice was no warmer.

"I need to find Amy. Rory-"

He cut off, remembering that Rory was with them. He was being awfully quiet considering the Doctor had just melted his wife.

Before he could turn around to see where he was Rose said, "We're in a time lock. Just you and me. Not a second has passed since Amy…_left_," Rose said delicately. "Well, maybe a second. I let you react to it first. Maybe it's better to say not a second has passed since I appeared and you remembered."

The Doctor looked at her in awe and concern. He finally took her hand, almost subconsciously.

"How can you…?"

She smiled and let out a breath she hadn't realised she was holding.

"I can tell you it all. It…you had to accept me. Not force me to tell you things. This was your test. Good news; you passed, well done," she said brightly, making him snort.

"So you really can tell me everything?" he asked warily.

"Yeah." She hesitated before saying, "I'm sorry for what I said to you. I didn't mean to. The way you were acting though…no one likes a hypocrite."

"You were right though," he said, looking away from her. "I never gave you an explanation. Especially with Reinette-"

She raised her free hand, signalling him to shut up.

"That's the past, this is now. Do you want a full explanation or not?"

He nodded eagerly. Rose's face and voice turned serious.

"When I collapsed in my bathroom, it was me and the Bad Wolf…fully merging. Before that she was hidden from me for my own protection. I had glimpses of what she saw; timelines, possible futures, stuff like that. Mostly I saw death. When I saw yours I rewrote it instantly. Doing that triggered something, like when I was trying to get back to you on Satellite Five, because I had the same motivation; saving you. The Bad Wolf was created to save you. I will always do everything I can to save you. If it ever came down to your life or mine, I would have willingly given mine. The Bad Wolf sensed that and set in motion…a certain chain of events.

"When it happened, I found out everything. I've already told you that I reopened certain Cracks so that Jack and the others could come through. I needed to get back to this universe and to you."

"Then why not come through on your own?" the Doctor asked quietly.

Rose frowned. "I don't know. All I know is that it had to be that way. I also had to leave you. Once I got back I couldn't stay. I had to come back now."

"Why did I forget?"

She looked into his eyes tearfully though she was smiling.

"Because you'd come looking for me and you would've messed the timelines up. Everything that's happened had to happen for me to come back. Again."

"What happened to everyone on the TARDIS? Jack? Martha, Mickey? River!" he exclaimed.

"I took them back. Or rather, the TARDIS did," she said with a smirk. "I think she likes me better than you now, she always hums all happily when I talk to her. And she always helps me with whatever I need doing," she said lightly, placing her hand on the console.

As if to highlight the point, the TARDIS let out a loud, content hum.

"Oh shut up," muttered the Doctor. Trying to get back on topic he asked, "Did they remember?"

"They had to," she replied simply. "And you'll be happy to know that Martha and Mickey had a healthy baby boy. They called him Harry. Harry William Smith."

The Doctor snorted in amusement. Then his face sobered.

"How long have you been gone in your time?"

She looked down sadly. "Nearly five months."

"Where have you been?"

She glanced back up at him, a mischievous glint in her eye.

"Somewhere," she said mysteriously.

"Doing what?"

"Changing."

The Doctor frowned, touching her cheek softly, the backs of his fingertips grazing her skin.

Taking courage from his so far calm reaction, she continued in a quiet voice.

"Doctor, I…I'm not exactly human anymore. I changed myself and my destiny, I suppose. When I took the Bad Wolf into me properly it made her part of…me. It's hard to explain. She's not killing me anymore because she's not there. Not really. She exists now in her powers which now belong to me but she made them…neutral, you could say. I control them, not the other way around. I am the Bad Wolf and because of that I'm tied to the TARDIS and the Vortex. My heart…it's made up of Time."

"Time with a capital T?" he asked quietly.

"The biggest capital T ever. It's like each heartbeat is Time passing, a century or year or even a second. My head is full of every possibility, I know the history of every planet and if I follow all the possibilities I'll know their future too. Doctor, I can't die. I can only die when it's the end of the universe."

"The end of Time," he said, his eyes widening at what that meant for them. She smiled at him.

"I could stay with you forever, if you like."

His eyes darted from her to the console. Wordlessly he kissed her.

"Stay," he whispered against her lips. "Stay with me forever."

He felt her smile. "You like?"

"Oh yes," he murmured. "I most definitely like."

She kissed him, almost knocking the breath straight out of him. A moment later she pulled away, heart racing.

"I can't see your future, or mine. Not anymore."

He nodded, closing his eyes. "I can't see my own timelines either."

"Can you see mine?" she asked curiously. His eyes snapped open. He answered slowly, considering each word before he said it.

"I try not to look. There are so many they hurt my brain. But they're basic. A to B to C. Except they don't just go through to Z. They go so much further than that."

"Like a spreadsheet? Like an infinite number?"

"Sort of. It's complicated and simple at the same time."

"Doctor, I'm the Immortal Goddess of Time. I am the Bad Wolf."

"I know," he said softly. "I know."

"Doctor, I'm not human," she said, just a tiny bit of hysteria in her voice.

The Doctor looked into her eyes, conveying his love for her through his gaze.

"Rose, to me you will always be my pink-and-yellow human. Are _you_ happy with what's happened to you?"

"God, yeah!"

"Then so am I. And our forever actually is forever."

"I love you," she murmured, nestling into the crook of his neck. He sighed contentedly, leaning his cheek again her head, running his free hand through her hair.

"We need to find Amy," she said in a muffled voice.

"Do you know where she is?"

"Yup," she said, leaning back and resting against the captain's seats. "And so do you."

"I do?" he asked, raising his eyebrows in surprise.

"I told you. Doctor, I practically sang it to you, how could you forget?" she said in mock-outrage.

"Demons Run? Ooooh that's good; I don't think I could go much longer not knowing!"

Rose rolled her eyes. "Time to wake Rory up."

Her eyes flashed gold for a moment. Time restarted. The Doctor tried to ignore how sexy he found her right then.

Rory provided the perfect distraction.

"Doctor, where the hell is Amy? What did you do? What's going on? How was she Flesh? When?" Rory yelled, his face turning an ugly red as he took his rage out on the Doctor. He stamped over to where the Doctor and Rose stood, faltering slightly when he saw her.

"Rose? Where did you come from? I remembered everything and then-wait, where have you been?"

The Doctor and Rose looked at each other. "It's a long story…" he started.

"We'll tell you another time," Rose finished before placing a hand on his shoulder. "Are you ok?" she asked, worry for him in her eyes.

"No. No I'm not. Amy's gone and I-I'm having a baby and I don't know where they are. I didn't even know she was pregnant. I didn't get to rub her baby bump or talk to the baby or feel it kick. I don't even know whether I'm having a boy or a girl and I won't be there for the birth. My first child and I-I'm not-" His voice broke.

Rose moved closer to him and hugged him, a motherly hug to soothe and calm. He leant into her, letting the tears fall, holding onto her as though she was his lifeline.

"Rory, listen to me because I'm telling you the truth," she said firmly. "We're going to find Amy and we're going to find your baby, I promise you," she said softly. He nodded, his chin brushing her shoulder, before pulling away.

"We're going to need some back up," the Doctor said, setting a destination. He felt like an intruder for watching such an intimate moment, Rose taking care of her friend. They both looked over, curious.

"Who?" Rory asked thickly.

Before he could answer, the TARDIS shook, throwing them around the console room. He grinned at them. Rose looked at him in an I-don't-think-you're-being-very-sensitive-to-your-friend kind of way. But Rory, good old Rory, gave him a tentative smile back.

_Right, _thought the Doctor, emotion welling inside him. Rory was putting his full trust in the Doctor and for once he liked that. They were friends, good friends. And for such a lonely man, that was nice.

Now to the matter at hand.

Those demons had better be ready to run. A good man was going to war.

And his name was feared by all who stood in his way, the very last of the mighty Time Lords, also known as the Oncoming Storm. But that wasn't the name they feared. The name had only one word but to each person it took on a different meaning.

The name?

**Doctor.**


	9. Depends on Your Viewpoint

I apologise for the shortness of the chapter but it's really only here to set up what's going to happen in the next few chapters.

As always, Doctor Who doesn't belong to me.

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><p><strong>Chapter Nine<strong>

**Depends on Your Viewpoint**

_This must be what they felt like getting ready for battle years ago,_ Rose thought as Rory walked out of the TARDIS dressed as a Centurion and the Doctor informed Madame Vastra, Jenny and Commander Strax what had happened.

Well then again she knew what they felt like. She could see them all in their head if she wanted to.

"Will it be a big battle?" Jenny asked, watching the Doctor with curiosity.

"Don't know. Find out later, won't we?" he said with a smile.

Before long they were joined by Dorium and Rory returned, looking very uncomfortable.

"Where's River?" the Doctor asked, barring Rory's way.

"She said she couldn't come yet. And that today's the day you find out who she is."

"She's not going to help us?" he hissed. Rose walked over to stand beside him, wrapping her arms around his waist.

"She can't, Doctor. Just let it go."

The Doctor looked at her, comprehension dawning across his face.

"You know who she is, don't you?"

Rose lifted her chin. "Yes. And no, I won't tell you."

"Rose," he pleaded.

"Doctor, you know why Demons Run is called that, don't you?" asked Dorium, drawing his attention away from Rose.

He frowned. "No. No I don't. Why is it?"

Next to him Rose muttered, "Oh God."

"There's an old saying, you see. 'Demons Run, where a good man goes to war.'"

The Doctor froze in horror. He turned to Rose, fury in his eyes.

"You said that in the poem you sang. Did you make it?"

With a worried glance at his face, she nodded.

Looking into her eyes, the Doctor relaxed. She hadn't done it to glorify him. She had done it to put the fear of God into them. He felt his anger trickle away.

But still, some part of him wasn't sure whether he liked it or not. Before he could say anything else, she stiffened. With a tight, rueful smile she walked out of the console room.

The Doctor turned to his current companions.

"We're almost there. Vastra, will your people meet us?"

"Yes. They are following our trail. The Judoon are also."

"Good. I'm going to…"

That made him pause for thought. What would he do with the people who had done this? Would he let them go or take his revenge?

He left the room as fast as he could.

Anger was coiling in his stomach, making him feel hot and out of control. He was so close to finding the people who did this to Amy, and to Rory. He didn't want to think of the people who had hurt his two best friends.

He paused slightly before shaking his head and entering the library.  
>Rory <em>was <em>his best friend. He cared about him and he didn't like that he was hurting over this.

Travelling with a married couple _had_ made him domestic, he thought as he sank wearily into a worn armchair.

_Calm down,_ he told himself firmly. _You're no use to anyone like this. _

"Doctor?"

He looked up to see Rose standing in one of the library's numerous doorways.

"Hello," he said softly. When she didn't move he asked, "Something wrong?"

She moved forward ever so slightly, for which the Doctor was grateful; at least now he could see her face properly.

"That depends on your viewpoint," she said, not meeting his eyes.

If speaking in riddles was the only way to get answers he would gladly do it.

"Is it wrong from your viewpoint?"

"For me it's…" She was silent for a moment, frowning. Then she looked up at him and grinned, eyes shining. "For me it's good. It's brilliant and fantastic and-"

"Molto bene?" he asked quietly, watching her warily. Her smile grew.

"Exactly," she said with a happy sigh.

"So…" he prompted.

"Doctor, I-"

"When will we get to this Demons Run? Because this is taking forever," Rory said loudly, as he entered the library from a door behind them, unaware of what he had interrupted.

Rose jumped at the sound of his voice and with an apologetic glance at the Doctor, she hurried out. The Doctor practically leapt out of his chair and started after her.

"Oh ok, just ignore me. I'll wait, I'm only trying to find my wife and child but it's fine, really. I did everything you asked, went to the Cybermen, went to River, but I ask you one question and you bugger off! Fine, ignore me. Thanks anyway!" Rory called sarcastically after the Doctor.

"Rose! Rose, wait!" the Doctor shouted, running to her and grabbing her arm.

She stumbled slightly as he caught her. She opened her mouth to say something but instead threw up all over the floor.

"Oh God," she mumbled, pushing her hair away from her face.

"Are you sick?" the Doctor asked stupidly.

She ignored his question.

"It's your fault," she moaned. "I would have made it in time if you hadn't stopped me."

She wiped her mouth self-consciously.

With a hum the TARDIS produced a new floor immediately.

"Thank you," she said gratefully, resting her hand on the wall.

"Rose, will you please tell me what's going on?"

"In a minute. I still feel crappy."

"Rose, I will get you whatever you want to feel better. Just please tell me what's wrong." When she still remained silent, he cried, "I'm going out of my mind here!"

She looked at him appraisingly.

"Come with me," she said calmly, the complete opposite to how the Doctor was feeling.

He took her hand as she silently led him to his room, never once letting go of him. He shut the door with his foot and stared at her apprehensively.

Still not saying a word, Rose placed his hand on her stomach.

"Rose, what-?"

"Just…tell me what you feel."

"Well you've put on some weight," he joked nervously. Rose looked like she was about to kill him.

With a calming breath she said rather tersely, "In your head, Doctor."

Keeping his eyes on hers, he reached out with his mind.

He gasped in amazement, looking down and placing his other hand on her stomach too.

"You're…?"

"Yes."

He glanced between her face and her stomach. He moved his hands over the gentle swell of her stomach. It was so obviously now he thought about it.

He really was an idiot.

"So we're-?"

Rose didn't let him finish.

"Oh my God, you're freaking out! Of course you are, you can't even say it!" she cried, tears in her eyes. The Doctor could only watch in bewilderment as she grew more hysterical.

"I _knew _it! 'Cause you think it's domestic and you'll say how dangerous it is and-"

She gasped so dramatically that the Doctor actually backed away from her in alarm.

"You're going to send me away," she whispered. "It'll be like Satellite Five all over again."

"What?" he yelped. "Rose, no. No, no, no, no, _no_! I-I just don't know what to say."

"Are you speechless in a good way or a bad way?" she asked worriedly.

He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close to him. Cupping her face with one hand and keeping his other still pressed against her stomach, he looked her straight in the eye, a wide smile spreading across his face.

"Speechless in the best, most glorious way imaginable," he murmured before capturing her lips in a kiss.

For a moment she was frozen but as his words sank in she responded with enthusiasm.

Breaking away, he rested his forehead against hers.

"Rose Tyler, we're having a baby. I'm having a baby with Rose Tyler. _I_ AM HAVING A _BABY_ WITH _ROSE TYLER_!" he yelled ecstatically.

Suddenly Rose's beaming smile turned into a frown.

"What?" he asked worriedly. He was terrified she'd freak out again; he didn't think his hearts could take another Rose-meltdown so soon after the first.

"It'll be half-Time Lord, won't it?"

The Doctor slowly nodded.

"Will it hate me?" she asked fearfully.

"Oh, Rose, no. We won't raise it like they did on Gallifrey. And don't forget, it's half-human too; it might end up hating me! Plus, if it's a snobby Time Lord we can always disown it."

They laughed, their chests bumping together.

"Rose," the Doctor said, serious again now. "I don't want you to come with us."

She sighed. "I knew you'd say that. I have to be there. It's a fixed point in time. I don't go and-BOOM-paradox."

"You're so sexy when you talk scientific," he said, torn between how he was teasing her and being totally honest.

Rose rolled her eyes. "I'm coming," she said firmly.

He nodded and kissed her one last time.

"You think I'm still going to die, don't you?" she asked, amused.

The Doctor exhaled shakily.

"I don't exactly want to put it to the test, no."

"Silly Doctor. If I tell you this, do you promise not to go mental?"

The Doctor snorted. "When have I ever gone mental?"

Rose just stared at him, one eyebrow raised. He rolled his eyes.

"Fine, yes, yes I promise."

She continued to stare at him for a second longer.

"Ok then. I _was_ going to die in this battle, some Monk thing was going to get me when I was…doing something."

"So the baby would have died too?" he asked, his hearts constricting at the thought.

"No. God no. If I had continued on that…path you could say, I wouldn't have gotten pregnant."

The Doctor just looked on, seriously confused.

Rose gasped mockingly. "Have I bested your incredible Time Lord brain?" she asked, mock-concerned.

He glared at her.

"Right, I'll try to simplify it. When I said I was going to die, I was human, yeah?"

"Yes…"

"But then I rewrote your death and the Bad Wolf woke up and decided to merge with me, yeah?"

"Yes…"

"Well that took away the possibility of me dying, see, and put me on _another path._ One where we would sleep together and I would get pregnant."

"So if you had just let my death happen, we still would have…made love but you wouldn't have fallen pregnant?"

"We have a winner!" she cried.

"So will the baby actually be half-human?" he asked.

"Yeah. It was conceived when I was still effectively human. Minor details," she said with a shrug.

The Doctor nodded, the word 'conceived' making him feel oddly queasy.

Rose pulled him close, resting her head on his chest, his double heartbeat soothing her in a way nothing else could.

"I love you, Rose Tyler," he murmured.

"I love you too, Doctor."

"Quite right too," he said, voice thick. Leaning back, he grinned and grabbed her hand, pulling her back towards the console room. "Now let's go find us an Amy!"


	10. Taken

**Chapter Ten**

**Taken**

_**Demons Run when a good man goes to war**_

When the Doctor stepped out of the TARDIS in his Headless Monk robes it took everything he had not to lock the doors behind him. He needed to prove to Rose that he trusted her to look out for herself, that he wouldn't leave her so he could keep her safe. They were equals; where one went so did the other.

It still felt wrong to be wearing the robes of the very same thing that would have killed her in an alternate reality. He shuddered at the thought.

The Doctor turned to face her, giving her a pleading look.

She smiled. "Nice try."

He sighed and put his hand on her side. "Be careful."

"You too. Hey, I'll see you soon."

He nodded and leaned forward, kissing her softly.

"I love you," he whispered, his worry leaking into his voice.

"I'll be fine," she breathed. "And I love you too. Now go before you miss your cue."  
>Rose pulled his hood up, making sure it covered his entire face.<p>

"There. Now just shut up for a bit and you'll make a perfect Headless Monk."

Beneath his hood the Doctor snorted. He started to leave, practising how he would have to walk to convince them of what he was masquerading as.

"Doctor?" she called to him.

He cocked his head slightly to the side. He could practically hear the smile in her voice.

"Give 'em hell."

_**Night will fall and drown the sun**_

Rose knew she had to wait to go to the Doctor. She also knew that something was going to go wrong once she found him. She just didn't know what. For the first time she was frustrated at not being able to see their futures.

What if she didn't wait? What if she just went to him, damn the consequences?

_Bad things happen to wizards who meddle with time._

Rose rolled her eyes. Trust her to resort to the wisdom Hermione Granger to prevent her from causing what would probably be an end-of-the-world paradox.

All of a sudden, she hated how important this battle was, hated how the balance of everything weighed upon her and the Doctor. She'd been blessed with the Bad Wolf's powers but she knew they would also become her curse.

And so she sat and waited alone, wishing she could ignore the horrible feeling in her gut that she was going to mess something up.

_**When a good man goes to war**_

In the control room, the Doctor sat, still seething at what Colonel Manton and Madame Kovarian had done. He tried not to hate everyone he went up against but that woman was just asking to be despised.

When he heard footsteps he turned slightly. His hearts jumped and sank at the same time; it was Rose.

"What are you doing here? I thought you weren't coming until Amy and Rory got the baby."

"She's fine. Rory got her in time. They're with Amy now."

He looked at her, his expression unfathomable.

"You can see them in your mind, can't you? That's how you know."

She nodded hurriedly, her mind on far more important things.

"Doctor, I think we should go. Staying here doesn't feel right."

He frowned, standing up and putting an arm around her protectively.

"What's wrong?"

"I don't know!" she cried. "I just-it feels like I need to go. Not away from you or-no," she said gravely. "Not need to go. _Will_ go."

"Rose, I can't give you the TARDIS. We might need her," he said apologetically.

Rose pulled away from him. "I know. I'll go…wait by her then. See if I can find Rory and Amy."

The Doctor nodded, still concerned as she walked out the door without a second glance.

Pushing the thoughts away, he walked over to Vastra and Dorium, hoping for some good news.

_**Friendship dies and true love lies**_

Trying not to run full-speed to the TARDIS, Rose forced herself into a casually walk. She was just being wary because of the baby. That was all.

_Yeah right_, she thought.

She turned into another corridor. It was a dead end.

"Well hello there," a smooth voice said from behind.

She stopped dead.

She heard clicks and realised they were getting ready to shoot her.

She whirled around and screamed, "NO!"  
>Madame Kovarian raised her hand at the men next to her, signalling them to stop.<p>

Rose realised she was trapped.

"Wait…scan her. If she's a friend of the Doctor's she would be too noble to beg for her life."

Pulling out a small, square device the man on Madame Kovarian's right pointed it at Rose. After a minute he said, "Human, I think. It looks like her genes have been mutated or something but I'm guessing she was originally human." He frowned. "She's with child and-_oh…_" he breathed.

"What?" she snapped irritably.

"The baby. It looks like it has two hearts."

"Half-Time Lord," murmured Madame Kovarian. She looked at Rose sharply.

"Who are you to be carrying a Time Lord baby? It can't be like Melody so…oh my. This is just too perfect. Is it the Doctor's baby?" she asked sweetly, moving ever so slightly closer to Rose. The man on her right did the same.

"I-no. I don't know what you're talking about," Rose said weakly.

"Of course you don't. Grab her!"

The man lunged at her, catching hold of her wrist. Rose fought him but he was too strong. He laughed.

"Restrain her, sedate her but make sure she's safe; I want what's inside of her."

Kicking, biting, scratching, Rose tried to struggle out of his hold. He grabbed her other arm, twisting it behind her, causing her to cry out in pain. Then she felt a small prick in her leg and her world turned black.

_**Night will fall and dark will rise**_

River Song was no coward but the thought of telling her parents who she really was terrified her.

They knew her as Professor River Song, killer of a good man. It wasn't exactly a good first impression. She wanted to be their Melody. But she hadn't been Melody in a long, long time.

Was it possible for them to ever see her as their little girl?

Was it possible for River to still be her?

_**When a good man goes to war**_

The Doctor was in shock. Time Lord shock. Melody was half-Time Lord?

Melody Pond, Amy and Rory's daughter _and _half-Time Lord? His mind refused to accept it, even with the information Dorium and Vastra had produced. But still…he wasn't alone anymore. He knew he wouldn't be anyway with his baby on the way but still.

It was a nice feeling.

If only it could last.

All the time a part of his mind was thinking about Rose. She was the Bad Wolf; if she said something felt wrong then something was definitely wrong.

Maybe he'd been an idiot to say no to her. He was always banging on about how he trusted her and when she'd confessed to him that something wasn't right he'd treated her like a child.

Like the boy who cried wolf.

_Irony is such a bitch_, he thought irritably before spluttering at how he'd thought it. He'd been around humans for too long.

Just when he'd decided to go after her, round everyone up and get the hell off this rock the screen in front of him came to life.

_**Demons Run but count the cost**_

"A child is not a weapon!" the Doctor screamed, spit flying.

"Oh give us time," came the silky reply. "She can be. She will be."

"Except you've already lost her and I _swear _I'll never let you anywhere near her again."

"Oh, Doctor. Fooling you once was a joy. But fooling you twice, the same way? It's a privilege."

He stared at her, the reality sinking in.

"Amy, Amy," he said quietly. He ran out of the room as fast as he could, hoping desperately he would get there in time.

"AMY!" he cried. "AMY! Amy!"

He faintly heard, "Rory…RORY!"

"Amy, she's not real. Melody; she's a Flesh avatar. Amy!" he yelled, frantically banging and Sonicing the door.

He ran into the hangar, staring around at the devastation surrounding him.

"Amy…"

"Yeah," Rory said flatly. "We know."

_**The battle's won but the child is lost.**_

He saw Strax dying and Rory comforting him. The Doctor didn't think he could feel any worse. And then he saw Amy.

He walked slowly over to where she was sat, looking more defeated than he'd ever seen her.

"So they took her anyway. All this was for nothing."

"I am so…sorry."

He went to hug her, hating the sight of her so sad. She backed away, tears running down her face.

"Amy, it's not his fault," said Jenny in a bid to calm the troubled woman.

"I know, I know," she said, looking away from the Doctor.

She walked away, Rory following her instantly, holding her to his chest.

Vastra came over to the Doctor.

"Doctor, there's someone who wants to speak to you."  
>What he said about not feeling any worse? How wrong he was, he thought gravely as he said goodbye to the dying girl.<p>

_Lorna,_ he reminded himself.

"Who was she?" he asked.

"I don't know but she was very brave," Vastra said, her voice threatening to break.

"They're always brave. They're always brave…" he said heavily, running a hand down his face.

He frowned, suddenly remembering another brave companion.

"Where's Rose?" he asked, trying so hard not to panic.

"She was with you," Vastra said simply. Then she frowned, confused. "But when I was up there she wasn't…"

"No. She said she was going to go back to the TARDIS or see if she could find Amy."

Vastra stared at him in alarm. "She never came here."

His chest constricted, hurting him as he struggled to breath.

"Rory! Rory, was Rose with you?"

"I haven't seen her since I left the TARDIS."

"Where did she go? Did they-?"

"Yoo-hoo," a voice called.

He turned, seeing a giant screen projected onto the far wall.

"Have you realised that your little pet is gone?" Madame Kovarian crooned. "It took you long enough."

"What have you done to her?" he snarled.

"She's right here safe and sound. Although she is giving me such a sense of déjà vu. We get rid of one pregnant woman and find ourselves with another."  
>Everyone looked at the Doctor in surprise. The Doctor merely glared at the screen.<p>

"If you hurt her-"

"Now, Doctor, why would I hurt her when she's carrying something so special? We're already planning on raising little Melody as a weapon against you. Imagine how much fun it will be to make your own child hate you too. And now we have two Time Lords. Or should I say Time _Ladies_."

The Doctor's hearts broke as he remembered his words from before.

_And don't forget, it's half-human too; it might end up hating me!_

The rest of what she'd said sank in. He was having a little girl. That woman had his daughter.

And his Rose.

He resisted the temptation to scream Gallifreyan profanities at her.

"Doctor, what is she talking about?" Amy demanded, breaking him out of his reverie.

"You haven't told her? Oh this is almost too good to be true. Your daughter is half-Time Lord. And the girl we followed is carrying his child, another half-Time Lord."

"I will find you," the Doctor said darkly. "And I will show you no mercy if you do anything to either of them."

"Don't you mean the three of them?" she asked, smiling smugly. "I'll put you out of your misery, Doctor. There's no need to worry about the girl. As soon as she's had the child we'll leave her for you to find."

"Alive. I had better find her alive," he said darkly.

Madame Kovarian smirked. "How will you find someone who doesn't exist?"

The screen went blank.

"NO!" he screamed, rage, fear and pain intermingling in the one word.

"Doctor," Amy asked with forced calm. "Is Melody half-Time Lord?"

"Yes," he said, broken. "Yes, she is. She has two hearts."

"But no time head, right?"

He nodded.

"Rose is pregnant?" she asked gently.

He nodded again, fighting back tears.

"What did she mean, she doesn't exist?" Rory asked, trying to distract himself from thoughts of how his daughter was half-Time Lord. How his daughter was more like the Doctor than him.

"They must have done her DNA. Rose is dead. On Earth, she's dead. I can't track her down using official records. I'll have to-"

"Well then, soldier, how goes the day?"

He whirled round, his hearts pounding. He wanted so much to blame this on River; she wasn't here, she could have helped, she could have stopped this.

But deep down he knew it was his fault.

"Where the hell have you been? Every time you've asked I have been there! Where the hell were you today?" he practically growled.

"I couldn't have prevented this."

"You could have tried!"

"And so, my love, could you."

"Don't call me that!" he roared.

She ignored him and turned to Amy.

"I know you're not all right. But hold tight, Amy, because you're going to be."

"You think I wanted this? I didn't do this! This wasn't _me_!" the Doctor exclaimed.

"This was exactly you. All this. All of it. You make them so afraid. When you began all those years ago, sailing off to see the Universe, did you ever think you'd become this? The man who can turn an army around at the mention of his name. 'Doctor.' The word for 'healer' and 'wise man' throughout the Universe. We get that word from you, you know. If you carry on the way you are, what might that word come to mean? To the people of the Gamma Forests, the word Doctor means 'Mighty Warrior'. How far you've come. And now they've taken a child. The child of your best friends, and they're going to turn her into a weapon just to bring you down. And all this, my love, in fear of you."

The Doctor stared at her for a moment. He didn't need a lecture from her, not now, especially when Rose was missing and he was wasting time listening to her when he could be starting his search. He looked at her, his jaw working, trying to stop himself from roaring the question at her. He walked towards her slowly. He remembered what Rose had said, what Rory told him.

"Who are you?" he asked quietly.

She looked at him for a second before skipping away.

"Oh look! Your cot! I haven't seen that in a very long while!"

He followed her, catching her wrist.

"No, tell me who you are."

Her voice softened.

"I am telling you. Can't you read?"

She placed his hand on the cot.

He looked down, and he read, and after a moment, tears gathered in his eyes.

"Hello."

"Hello," she said with a smile.

If felt wrong doing this with her. He laughed oddly.

"But that means!"

"I'm afraid it does."

"Ooh! But you and I, we've..."

He mimed kissing.

"Yes."

He'd cheated on Rose without even knowing it. Well he had known because he'd thought about her afterwards. Whether he remembered reuniting with her or not, he still considered kissing anyone who wasn't her cheating. He'd cheated on her with _Amy's daughter_. Another odd laugh.

"How do I look?"

"Amazing."

"I better be."

"Yes, you'd better be."

"Vastra and Jenny, 'til the next time. Rory and Amy, I know where to find your daughter and _on my life_ she will be safe! River, get them all home."

"Doctor!" Rory called, going after him.

"No! Where are you going? No," said Amy who was now not only confused and devastated but also furious.

He shut the door and started up the TARDIS immediately.

Once inside the Doctor felt his enthusiastic optimism disappear.

He knew where Melody-River?-was but if Rose wasn't with her then he was seriously stuck for ideas.

He tried not to feel like he was betraying Amy by looking for Rose first.

But it wasn't just Rose. It was Rose and his daughter. Amy would understand that surely, being a parent whose child had been taken herself?

Surely she would go for Melody first if she was in his position?

He set a destination and went for it. If he was right everything would be grand and everyone would be happy, happy, happy.

If he was wrong…well, there would be hell to pay.


	11. Answers, Dreams and Plans

I still don't own Doctor Who.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Eleven<strong>

**Answers, Dreams and Plans**

Following River's bombshell, Amy and Rory stood in shock, silently watching their daughter as she made plans on how to get everyone home.

_Oh my God, my __**daughter**__,_ Rory thought bemusedly.

His daughter, who he noticed was constantly stopping herself from looking over at them.

"I'm going to…call some people," she explained, smiling only at Vastra and Jenny.

"Friends of yours?"

She nodded. "And the Doctor's. In a way," she added cryptically.

"That's not exactly an answer, is it?" Amy snapped.

"Amy, stop," Rory said in a low voice.

"No," she said defiantly, once again feeling tears sting her eyes. "All I have is her word and that stupid leaf thing to prove that she's Melody. It's not enough."

River looked away, not wanting her parents to see how much their reaction was hurting her.

But…she did have a sneaking suspicion that Rory might actually believe her. That was something. It was all she could hope for, for now.

"Anyway," she said breezily, pulling out a small, square device. "Back up."

She put in some sort of code, trying to ignore Amy's hostile gaze.

"You don't look like me," Amy said accusingly. "Or Rory."

"Melody's half-Time Lord, she probably regenerated," Rory said calmly. He faltered as he met River's eyes. "R-right?"

She nodded. He beamed at her, obviously pleased with himself for figuring it out and for speaking to her properly for the first time. Rose had told him about regeneration in the other universe after he'd seen a picture of the old Doctor in her house. He silently thanked her for giving him the knowledge that finally gave him a chance to say something to his daughter.

"Right," she repeated softly.

"If you regenerated…" he started slowly, "doesn't that mean you've died?"

"Yeah. Yeah I did."

"How?" he asked sharply.

She hesitated. Before she could speak Amy asked, "What did you used to look like?"

"You won't see me like that. I regenerated before I was found," she said warily, wondering if she'd just created a paradox.

But if she was honest, she didn't care. She was fed up of spoilers.

"How old were you?" Rory asked in a hushed voice.

She smiled mischievously, though it didn't reach her eyes. "That's cheating."

The device beeped loudly, and a familiar, bouncy voice crackled through it. River thanked whoever it was for the distraction.

"Well, Professor Song, I thought you'd never call."

River rolled her eyes as Rory shouted, "That's my baby daughter, you pervert!" Then realising who it was he cried, "Jack!""

Amy scowled at him. River laughed quietly, though it sounded more like a sob.

"You always were overprotective," she whispered, a tear finally escaping.

"I was?" Rory asked happily. A second later he frowned. "Wait…"

"In a good way," River explained. She got ready to tell him a story of how one time the Doctor had taken her out to for a TARDIS driving lesson and they'd ended up on a planet in the midst of a civil war and Rory had hit the roof, calling him irresponsible and saying she was too young to be driving the TARDIS and…

She realised she couldn't.

"Spoilers," she said bitterly, realising that saying too much about future might be going too far.

Even if it was her past.

Rory watched her with concern.

"When you're done with the family drama let's get you all back to Torchwood," Jack said.

"Jack, how exactly are you going to get us-?"

He was right beside her.

"Is that a Vortex Manipulator?" she asked, her eyes narrowing.

"Maaaaaybe…I might have _possibly_ fixed it after the Doctor Soniced it…"

She grabbed his wrist, examining Manipulator with a critical eye. "You've upgraded. I'm impressed, Captain Harkness. Well perhaps just this once it's alright, seeing as we need a ride."

He grinned at her. "Why yes you do."

"Take Jenny and Vastra first. They'll tell you when and where."

The two nodded, walking over to stand beside Jack.

"Good luck, Amy," Jenny said kindly. "I hope you find Melody. Baby Melody," she clarified as Amy glared at River.

Jack took their hands as they murmured where to take them. Then they were gone.

Left with her parents, River sighed shakily.

Amy was still watching her, distrust in her eyes.

That hurt her more than anything.

"I know you think I'm lying to you," she started, trying to ignore the way her voice was trembling ever so slightly. Amy cut her off.

"I don't-I have nothing against you, I just don't-I mean…how can you be Melody? You can't be her so just…tell me. Tell me how," she begged desperately, every trace of anger gone.

She only wanted answers.

River closed her eyes, hurriedly trying to think of something that would convince Amy that she was really Melody.

Then she hit gold.

"In the orphanage you went to, there was a room you went in with pictures. There was a picture of you and a baby, and at the time I know you were confused; I would have been too. But that picture was of me and you. I don't know when it was taken but it was always my favourite."

Moving slowly, she reached into her back pocket and pulled something out. Without stepping forward an inch, she reached out her hand to Amy, who snatched at it.

Her mouth dropped open when she saw the same picture, though this one was faded and far more crinkled.

"I used to dream that you would find me and that you would take me home, away from that place. But you never came," River said breathlessly, her emotions getting the better of her. "You never came."

Before Amy could say anything, before River could think, she saw Rory walking purposely towards her.

She realised that he was crying, his eyes red, his mouth a tight line.

He stopped right in front of her, suddenly afraid to do what he'd wanted to do since he'd learned who River really was.

She made the decision for him, throwing her arms around his waist right as her tears began to fall thick and fast.

He held her to his chest, gently stroking her hair as she sobbed.

"It's ok," he said, voice thick. "I'm here, Melody. You're ok."

He knew then that River was definitely Melody. Any doubts he'd had before, and they had been weak ones already, were gone as he comforted his daughter. He felt a bond with her instantly, that same pull he felt to his own parents.

Amy watched, torn between her uncertainty and her maternal instincts.

Her mouth dropped open in surprise.

_Maternal instincts._

When a mother saw her child crying it was her automatic response to comfort and soothe the child, to make them feel safe and loved.

Exactly like Amy felt right then.

River was Melody. Melody was River. Melody was Amy's daughter and if River was Melody then-

"I'm so sorry," she cried suddenly, rushing forward to where Rory was still calming River.

_Melody._

Amy grabbed her hand. Rive stared at her in shock, struggling to find words.

"Forgive me," Amy breathed. "I was horrible and mean and I was scared that you were joking and then I'd lose you all over again and I couldn't bear it, not so soon-"

"I know," River said hoarsely. "I know."

Rory put one arm around Amy, drawing her to his side, keeping his other around River.

Amy tentatively reached out with her free arm. River smiled tearfully, and hugged her mother tightly, her father holding the two women protectively.

"I love you," she whispered, hating that she had broken down in front of them when she had always told herself that she would be strong and composed; a daughter they could be proud of.

"We're proud of you," Rory murmured. She stiffened in shock. "You're River Song."

She shook her head. "I'm Melody Pond."

"Superhero," Amy said smugly.

"She's a geography teacher as well. Sort of," Rory said.

River smiled, pulling away but keeping her hand linked with Amy's, taking Rory's with her other.

She had always worried that when this moment finally came about she would be uneasy around her parents when they were so young, having to explain that she was Melody when she hadn't been Melody in a long time.

But when it came to it, they were her parents and she was their daughter. To them she would forever be Melody.

And when she was with them, she wasn't River Song, killer of a good man. She was Melody Pond, geography teacher by day, superhero by night.

She turned slightly to ask Rory something when she saw Jack standing behind him, smirking.

"Now the kiss-and-make-up is over, can we finally go?" he asked, amused.

Amy held Rory's hand as River let go of his other and took Jack's instead.

"Let's get out of here."

Demons Run was left alone.

The Doctor ran out of the TARDIS, his hearts thundering in his ears.

He had locked onto one of the places where the TARDIS had felt a large amount of…well, _Time_.

Hoping he would be lucky first time, he looked around where he had landed.

His hearts sank, disappointment welling up inside him. Just once glance was all it took to tell him Rose wasn't here. Well, not his Rose anyway.

He was on Satellite Five.

_Right person, wrong time, _he thought bitterly.

He walked back into the TARDIS, slamming the door behind him.

She groaned in protest.

"Oh shut up," he snapped, his mind already thinking of another way he could find her.

Because he would find her. No matter how long it took or how hard it was, the Doctor would find Rose Tyler.

He thought of his daughter being born and then taken away from her mother, left to be cared for by strangers who would poison her with hate.

He could practically feel his blood boiling.

Frantically pressing and pulling as many levers and buttons as he could, the Doctor raced through various possibilities.

He winced at the word, reminding himself of Rose. He hated how as soon as they had their forever it was snatched away.

"It's not fair!" he screamed, hitting the console.

The TARDIS reached out to his mind.

"I know," he said sadly. "I'm sorry."

She hummed loudly.

"Right, need to think of a new plan. Need to make lists; lists are good, prioritise things, make it simple. Ha!" he snorted, chatting away to himself since there was no one else to listen to him.

The TARDIS was too busy feeling through time and space to listen to the ramblings of a mad man with a box.

"I know!" he cried triumphantly. He ran it through his head one more time, committing it to memory.

_New plan: _

_-Find Rose _

_-Find baby_

_-Find Melody_

_-Give Melody to Amy and Rory _

_-Crush Kovarian and her cronies_

_-Use 'cronies' more often_

_-Marry Rose Tyler_

So far it was a good plan.

Alone and unconscious, a woman was dreaming.

She dreamt of seeing her mum again, telling her that she was pregnant and asking her advice.

She dreamt of hugging Jack, one of the few people who could comfort her with the slightest of touches.

She dreamt of Rory and Amy, the Boy and Girl Who Waited, and of their future together.

She dreamt of holding her child for the first time, the baby's features nondescript.

Her dreams turned into a nightmare.

She was alone, faceless in a prison, the rational part of her mind screaming for help.

She was alone, waiting once again, betrayal and hurt heavy in her heart.

She was alone, sobbing, yelling, banging against a white wall, knowing it was useless.

_Take me back. _

Back to where?

She was nowhere. She was alone. She was no one.

_Take me back._

Back to who?

_Who._

_Whowhowhowho-_

_Doctor who?_

The Doctor.

The person she was screaming to for help.

The person she was waiting for, betrayed and hurt because he had chosen someone else over her.

The person who was on the other side of that white wall, who had laid his hand against it, wishing that she could come back to him, that there was a way to bring her back.

She wasn't alone.

She had her baby; that much she knew.

And she had the Doctor, her constant ally, her trusted friend and the love of her life.

Which was saying a lot since she was basically immortal.

_Immortal?_

_The Immortal Goddess of Time. _

_I create myself. _

_Through Time and Space._

_Time. _

_My heart is made up of Time. _

_Gold. _

Her mind was gold.

_Pink and yellow. _

Why was she colours?

She was human.

_Doctor, I'm not human._

She wasn't human.

She was a wolf. How could she be a wolf? Wolves were animals, scary and vicious, just like that nursery rhyme:

**Who's afraid of the big, bad wolf?**

The words whirled around her mind until only two remained, repeating themselves over and over again.

_**Bad Wolf. **_

She wasn't no one. She was the Bad Wolf. She was the Immortal Goddess of Time.

She was-

_Rose Tyler, Defender of the Earth._

She was Rose. She was alive.

Where was the Doctor?

_Am I ever going to see you again?_

_You can't._

"No," she gasped, "I'm here."

_And I suppose…if it's my last chance to say it...Rose Tyler-_

"No!" she said, her voice stronger this time.

She fought off her forced sleep, her hands twitching to life.

"SEDATE HER!" a voice roared.

There was a loud bang, the sound of shoes slapping tile.

"Doctor!" she cried. "Doctor, I'm here!"

Her arms flailed, her legs felt heavy and her neck was stiff but she was awake, though her eyes wouldn't open. She would-

Her hand brushed her stomach.

"No," she murmured, tears running into her hair. "No…"

When she had last been awake, she'd had the tiniest baby belly. Now she had a huge baby bump. Not quite full term, but obviously not far off.

The Doctor hadn't found her and she was trapped, prevented from finding him.  
>She felt strong hands grab her, pushing her limbs down, keeping her still.<p>

She screamed in fury and pain, her skin burning where the hands were holding her in a vice-like grip.

A needle pierced her arm.

"Back to sleep, Rosie. You're not ready yet," a voice said before darkness took her once more.

This time she didn't dream. She remembered nothing.

If Rose's eyes had opened, she would have seen the sign for the facility in which she was being kept.

She would have known that she was safe because she had made herself a bread crumb trail that would lead the Doctor right to her. And she'd done it all those years ago, knowing that one day she would need to be found, rescued from the back of beyond where no one would ever find her without a bit of help.

The facility was called Dark Sword, a small base on an even smaller meteor, much like Demons Run had been. It was a safe house so to speak, a place for Madame Kovarian to lie low, equipped with all the things needed for a healthy birth.

This would have given Rose no clues.

But underneath DARK SWORD on the sign was the name of who owned the facility.

B. WOLF.


	12. Time's Up

I don't know if any of you are fans of Torchwood, but in case anyone is, this chapter is set after Children of the Earth but just before Miracle Day which is why Jack's rather more serious than usual.

Also, I personally think this chapter has a slightly rushed feel to it but I can assure you it wasn't rushed at all as I spent quite a while writing it in different ways and still couldn't get it to go right. In a way I'm glad because it helped me realise what direction I wanted the story to go in and it gave me a few ideas as to how it would all happen. But yeah, with this chapter I realised that if I didn't post it I'd never stop messing with it and it'd never get uploaded so here it is.

Because of all that though, I'll do a double update. Fair deal?

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Twelve <strong>

**Time's Up**

"Mickey, can you take Harry please? I need to ring Gwen and get her down here. God knows where she is though. Mickey? MICKEY!" Martha yelled from the kitchen, one hand dialling, the other soothing the now screaming baby.

In the living room River, Rory and Amy were all sat on a sofa, silently glancing around the room. Their hands were still linked. In an armchair opposite them, Jack was staring out of the window with a frown.

"I don't see why you can't just do it, Jack," Martha called through the open door, her voice almost drowned out by the crying, causing them all to jump. "She'd rather speak to you than me."

"I wouldn't be so sure about that," he muttered.

The baby's cries increased in volume.

"Oh, Harry, I'm sorry. If your idiot father would hurry up-MICKEY!" she roared.

"Alright, alright, I'm coming," Mickey shouted, coming out the hall and entering the kitchen.

"What's wrong, kid?"

A moment later, Harry was quiet.

"Why does he only do that for you?" Martha asked wearily, as Mickey carried Harry into the living room, smiling triumphantly.

Jack looked over to the three on the sofa, smiling weakly. "If Torchwood was still open I would've taken you there. The only other place I could think of was here."

River asked curiously, "What happened to Torchwood?"

Jack laughed humourlessly. "It unofficially shut down."

"Why?"

"Well let's see. We lost half the team, another was pregnant and I left the planet. It's hard to run an institute when there's no one left," he said, his voice turning bitter.

"I'm sorry," Amy said quietly, glancing between River and Jack. "But what's Torchwood?"

"It was set up by Queen Victoria to protect the Earth from aliens. She started it after meeting the Doctor and Rose."

"Oh. Right. As you do."

Rory smirked but his face soon turned sombre. "Do you think Rose will be ok?"

"Of course she will," Amy said fiercely. "The Doctor will find her and Melody and bring them back to us."

"Don't forget their baby too," River said quietly.

"What?" Mickey asked sharply. "Did you say baby?"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Jack cried in alarm. "What did you say about Rose?"

"Oh my God," Amy said softly. "You don't know."

"Know what? What's going on?" Jack snapped.

Amy opened her mouth to speak but Rory cut over her. "The Doctor went to find Amy and our daughter, Melody. Or…River, I guess and-"

"River is your daughter? This River right here?" Jack asked, gaping at the three. Mickey was just listening in bewilderment.

"Yeah. Anyway, they-they took Melody," Rory said, his voice beginning to shake. River took over. "But they…somehow they found out that Rose was pregnant with the Doctor's baby and they took her too. So now the Doctor's looking for the three of them. Us. Me," she said, utterly confused by what was the correct way of saying it.

"Rose is missing?" Jack asked coolly, fury building in his chest.

_If they hurt her, I'm gonna blow their heads off, _he thought resolutely.

It probably kicked the arse of whatever plan the Doctor had.

"Does the Doctor know where she-you-_they_ are?" Mickey whispered, gently rocking his son to sleep.

Amy shook her head, as the others shrugged. Jack remained still, deep in thought.

"Ok, ok, we'll see you soon. Yeah, be careful. Ok, you too, bye," Martha said quickly before running into the living room. Seeing Harry sleeping, she whispered, "Gwen's on her way. Rhys is coming down too."

Jack blinked, coming out of his ruminations and pulled a face. "Why?"

"So he can watch Anwen and Harry. You know he hates getting involved in stuff like this."

"Who's Anwen?"

Martha looked at him sadly. "She's Gwen's daughter."

Amy closed her eyes, tears leaking out from under her lids as Rory reached behind River to comfort his wife.

Jack just stared in disbelief.

"I didn't know," he breathed. "I didn't know."

Martha nodded, her eyes never leaving Jack's face.

"How old is she?" he asked, his voice hushed.

"A few months. I think she was born just after Harry turned one."

"One?" Amy said incredulously. "But we only saw _you_ a few months ago and you were still pregnant!"

Martha smiled. "Time-travel."

"So what do we do now?" River asked, leaning forward. Martha sighed tiredly.

"Well first we wait for Gwen to get here. That should only take a couple of hours. Then we try and contact the Doctor, find out if he knows anything. If that doesn't work then we look for Rose and Melanie ourselves."

"Melody," Rory corrected. "Her name is Melody."

"I'm sorry. We'll look for Rose and Melody."

River said tersely, "I don't think we should start messing around with this. The Doctor knows where I am, he'll probably find Rose too, _and_ their child."

Jack ignored her, instead asking, "Can you get any weapons? I lost my gun in a bet in some bar on the Rings of Saturn."

"There's a bar there?"

"Not now there isn't but give it a few centuries and there will be."

Mickey sighed, looking up at the ceiling. "God give me strength," he muttered.  
>Martha smirked before stretching her arms out. "I'll put Harry in his crib, let him sleep properly."<p>

Mickey nodded and kissed Harry's forehead. The baby stirred slightly but didn't wake, even as he was passed to his mother.

Rory and Amy watched on, torn between jealousy and misery.

When Martha returned she said, "In answer to your question, Gwen said she'd bring some stuff with her." She turned to Amy. "Has the Doctor still got the phone I gave him?"

Not understanding her, Amy said, "There's the phone in the TARDIS."

"No, a mobile phone; he's had it a few years. He's never used it?"

"Not that I know."

Martha dropped her head in defeat.

"Wait," Mickey said hopefully. "You said there's a phone in the actual TARDIS?"

Amy nodded. "He's used it before."

"Right," said Jack, jumping to his feet. "How do we get the number?"

"I know. I can get you connected," River said carefully. "But if I do, you can't give it to just anyone. No one outside of this room can know it."

Jack smirked. "Have you told the Doctor that?"  
>She sighed. "I have tried. You know what he's like; he never listens."<p>

"He's a Time Lord, why would he take advice from humans?"

"I'm half-Time Lord," River said quietly.

Ignoring the collective intake of breaths, she got to her feet, placing her hand out to Martha.  
>Understanding what she wanted, Martha pulled her phone out and put it in River's open palm.<p>

"Jack, I don't think we should've got Gwen involved with this. If she moved away to hide from people who would connect her to Torchwood, she won't want us bringing her into the open," Mickey said with a frown.

Jack looked away from him.

"Don't ignore me just because I'm right," he snapped. "What did you make Martha tell her?"

"I said the Doctor needed help," Martha explained calmly, taking her husband's hand and squeezing it. "And he does, Mickey, and Rose needs our help too."

"We're gonna need all the help we can get," Jack murmured, rubbing a hand over his eyes.

Mickey glared at him before stalking out of the room. Martha sighed.

"Jack, I'm sorry."

Jack merely shook his head. "I deserve it. If he wants to hate me for what he did let him. God knows I do."

Rory and Amy were still sat on the sofa, now completely bewildered by what was going on around them.

"Who are these people?" Amy whispered to Rory, who shrugged, his eyes wide.

"I've got it!" River cried. "I tried a few different ways and I've found the number. It should go through…"

She held the phone to her ear as Mickey ran back into the room, everyone else stayed completely still.

The flat was silent; it seemed as though all the occupants were holding their breath.

"How do I put it on…ah! There we go."

A second later, a dialling tone echoed throughout the room.

"YES!" Jack cried joyfully, the first real grin since they'd came into Martha and Mickey's flat breaking across his face.

"Shhh!"

"Oh God, he'd better answer," Amy breathed, getting up off the sofa and moving to stand next to River.

A few more seconds later, a rather surprised voice said, "Hello?"

The Doctor was in a foul mood, made even worse by the fact that the TARDIS had decided that today was the day to have a breakdown.

He had visited four places. Four different planets, four different years, and still nothing.

No Rose, no baby, no Madame Kovarian.

Running his hands through his hair, he knelt down and started the repairs, all the while thinking of another way to find them.

He could search for Rose's mind, lock onto it and follow it through a mental link.

He faltered, receiving a shock for his momentary lapse of concentration.

_You can never enter my mind again. It'll kill you._

So that idea was out.

He could follow the trail of major time things.

_Need to make up a proper name for them, _he thought distractedly.

He pushed that idea away, realising that it could take hundreds of years to find the right one.

Pulling at a few wires, the Doctor wondered if he could put posters up all around the universe.

_She's not a lost pet,_ he scolded.

_Have you realised that your little pet is gone?_

Maybe he should go for Melody now, go back to looking for Rose and the baby later.

The thought hurt his hearts.

Finishing the repair and congratulating himself on doing it so quickly, he stood and stretched.

Then he heard a phone ring.

"Who could that be?" he asked confusedly. "Oh right. Answer it and find out."

Sprinting back to the console, and almost breaking his neck going up the stairs, he grabbed at the phone.

"Hello?" he asked, thoroughly surprised that someone had rang him.

"Doctor? It's River."

"River? How did you get this number?"

"I guessed," she said dryly. "But never mind that. You need to come to…where are we?" she asked.

"Hammersmith, 2011," a woman said quietly.

"He'll need it more specific than that," he heard someone say in the background.

"Mickey? Martha? Is that you?" he asked, glancing around as though he could see them.

"Yeah. We're in our flat. Flat 2B, Beadon Road, Hammersmith, London, England, Earth. Come at," she glanced at the clock, "half two on the 21st July 2011."

"God help us," Jack muttered.

"What are you doing there?" the Doctor cried.

"Helping a friend. Have you found Rose yet?"

"No," he said heavily. "I'm going for Melody now. I'll bring her to you and then look for Rose and the baby again."

"We'll help," Jack said fiercely.

"Thank you," the Doctor whispered. He put the phone down, making a note of when to get to Martha's.

Starting up the TARDIS' engines he said sadly, "I will find you, Rose. I promise."


	13. Hello There

Double update as promised.

Right, I don't own Doctor Who and as the second part of Series 6 isn't on yet, the story surrounding River/Melody in Time is all completely my own imagination.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Thirteen<strong>

**Hello There**

The Doctor flew around the TARDIS console, flicking levers as he passed.

Attempting to create a timeline of Melody's childhood, he sorted through what he remembered.

The girl on the phone, the space suit, the orphanage-

_Oh. _The _Orphanage. _

It had shut down years ago, years before Melody had been put there, and Amy had said she was in the suit while she was in there.

He sighed in dismay; they'd found the suit empty.

Melody had escaped.

"Come on, old girl," he murmured. "Help me find a Time Lady."

After much humming, a destination flashed onto the screen.

"New York…how did she get to New York? It's showing a lot of-she's regenerating," he said, his face ashen. "We need to go now; go, go!"

For once, the ride was smooth as the TARDIS drove herself. The Doctor tried to ignore her smugness.

"Be back soon!" he called over his shoulder as he shut the door behind him.

Glancing around him, he saw a homeless man run out an alley, looking decidedly terrified.

_Bingo._

He ran as fast as he could, hoping she hadn't panicked at what was happening to her and legged it.

Skidding to a halt, he saw a little girl staring down at her hands in amazement.

"Hello there," the Doctor said softly.

The girl jumped, looking up at him. She stayed where she was, silent. He could tell she was taking in his appearance, confused. He realised sadly that Amy and Rory would never see what she originally looked like. From what he could see, she just looked like a mini-River, the same curly hair and eyes.

"Are you Melody?"

The girl nodded warily.

"Are you here to take me back?" she asked, her voice shaking with fear.

"Back where?"

"To the orphanage. I won't go back, you can't make me."

"Oh. Oh no, Melody. I've come to take you home, to your Mum and Dad."

Melody's eyes widened as she stepped forward despite herself.

"You know my parents? You know where they are?"

The Doctor nodded, smiling. "I do. They're friends of mine and they're waiting for you."

"How do I know I can trust you?" she asked suspiciously.

"Can you hear that singing?" he asked quietly. She nodded. "You can only hear it in your mind though, am I right?"

She nodded again, curious.

"That's me. Because I'm like you, Melody."

"You have two hearts too?" she asked quickly. "I've never met anyone else with two. I used to think it was normal but then-then…"

"I have two hearts too," he repeated, wondering what had happened but deciding to let it go for now. "Can you hear that other song as well? An older, far better song than mine?"

She nodded for a third time.

"That's my TARDIS. It's a time machine."

"Time and Relative Dimensions in Space," she said, awed. "Can I go in it? Can I drive? I bet I could if you let me!"

"One day, Melody. I promise one day I will teach you."

Pleased, she ran forward and took his hand before looking up at him with a smile.

"So what do you know about your parents?" he asked, unsure of what else to say.

"Their names are Amy Pond and Rory Williams. My Mummy's really pretty."

"What about your Dad? Is he pretty too?"  
>Melody frowned. "I've never seen a picture of him. All I know is his name."<p>

They walked together silently then, the last Time Lord and Lady in existence at this moment making their way towards the nearby TARDIS.

"What's your name?" she asked suddenly.

"I'm the Doctor," he said warily.

She cocked her head to one side, studying him. "I was told to hate you. But I didn't. I didn't know why, but I didn't. They wanted me to destroy you, said one day I'd kill you." She frowned. "But I don't want to kill you. I don't want to ever kill anyone."

This time he was the one who nodded, trying hard not to roll his eyes at the irony.

"It's a long story, one your parents can explain."

Melody stopped, her mouth dropping open.

"She's _beautiful_," she breathed, staring up at the TARDIS with wonder.

The Doctor grinned with pride. "I know. Shall we go in?"

Opening the door, the Doctor gestured for River to go first. She ran inside as he waited for the moment she said it. He wasn't disappointed.

"It's bigger on the inside!"

"Time Lord technology. I'll teach you about it one day when I want to punish you for something."

He typed in the date and place and started up the TARDIS' engines before picking up the phone. He called the last number saved as Melody circled the console, running her hands over it lovingly.

"Hello?"

"Ah, Martha, it's me. I have Melody and I'm en route to your flat right now."

"What? You're actually coming into the flat?"

"Yes, is that a problem?"

"Well, yeah-"

He heard the TARDIS materialise through the phone.

"I shall see you all soon. Get River out of the room we're in. If she sees Melody the universe might go a bit mad."

Martha didn't answer. It took him a moment to realise she'd hung up on him.

"Now that's just rude," he muttered to himself, putting the phone back.

He noticed Melody standing by the doors, her hand stretched out, trembling as she reached for the handle.

"My Mum and Dad are out there, aren't they?"

"Yes," he said simply.

"What are they like?"

He stood beside her and opened the door slowly.

"Go and see," he said softly.

Taking small steps, she peeked out of the TARDIS.

They were in a small, brightly decorated room, the walls a light blue with various pictures haphazardly nailed in.

Then she saw all of the people.

"I don't know who they are," she whispered to the Doctor. "But there's Mummy."

He saw Amy standing in front of the couch, obviously waiting for Melody to come out.

"She's even prettier in real life. But which one's my Daddy?"

Before he could reply, a fair-haired man stepped forward, taking Amy's hand.

"Melody?" she asked, tears in her eyes.

"Mummy?" Melody asked quietly.

"Melody," the man said softly, "is that you?"

"Daddy!" she cried, running forward and throwing herself at her parents, an arm around each of them.

Amy and Rory dropped to their knees, pulling Melody closer to them as she sobbed.

"Shh," Amy said gently. "It's ok, Melody. It's us, we're here. You're safe now."

It wasn't lost on Rory that he'd said almost exactly the same to River only hours earlier. He looked up at the Doctor and mouthed, "Thank you."

The Doctor merely nodded, shutting the TARDIS door and walking over to where Martha, Mickey and Jack were watching the family reunite.

As he reached them Mickey asked, "Is it safe with River just next door?"

"As long as she doesn't touch Melody, it should be fine. When they're done I'll get River and she can stay on the TARDIS until we leave."

"You're actually letting us help you?" Martha asked with a smirk. "That's a change."

The Doctor looked down. "I can't find Rose alone. I've tried and it-it's bad."

Jack placed his hand on the Doctor's shoulder as Martha took one of his hands in hers. Mickey said firmly, "We'll find her."

"So," Jack started in his most mischievous voice, "I hear you're gonna be a daddy."

The Doctor half-smiled, half-grimaced.

"Yes I am, but of course the baby is missing too."

"We'll find it too then," Martha said with a smile.

"Her. It's a girl," he said proudly.

"Congratulations."

"Right then!" a voice shouted, "Where the bloody hell is this Doctor and when can we-oh hello."

Gwen stood in the doorway, a smiling baby in her arms, Rhys following behind with several suitcases.

Close to some kind of breakdown the Doctor cried, "Introductions!"

Jack rolled his eyes. "Go get River and get on the TARDIS; we'll be there in a minute."

"Right. River. RIVER!" he yelled, startling Harry who began to scream from his bedroom.

With a sigh, Mickey went to calm him, glaring at the Doctor.

The Doctor felt a tug on his sleeve and turned. Amy looked at him warily.

"Doctor, Rory and I are going to stay here with Melody. We can help…"

She looked over to Gwen who said, "Oh, this is my husband Rhys. And this is Anwen."

"She's beautiful," she said to Gwen sincerely before saying to the Doctor, "We can help Rhys look after Anwen and Harry while you're gone and then when you find Rose and the baby you can come back here and we'll sort everything out then. But please, we just want to get to know her better and-"

"Ok."

"We can tell her about us and-wait, what?"

The Doctor laughed. "I said, ok. It'll be better if River and Melody aren't together anyway."

"Thank you," she said quietly, hugging him. "Be careful and bring them back."

"I will. For now, can you go into another room? I don't want Melody to be scared when River comes through."

"Why would she be scared?" Amy asked with a frown.

The Doctor ignored her.

"You can go in the kitchen if you want, get something to eat," Martha offered, gesturing to the door.

Amy nodded, calling Rory and Melody over.

"Thank you, Doctor," Melody whispered, adoration in her eyes.

"You're welcome, Melody. I'll see you soon. And you, Rory."

"Doctor, if there's…if Rose is hurt, bring her here and I'll treat her," Rory said, his face serious.

"Why would she be hurt?" the Doctor asked worriedly.

Rory shook his head, frowning.

"I don't know. I just…I don't think you'll find her perfectly fine. I have this feeling."

Remembering Rose talking about her feeling back on Demons Run, the Doctor nodded. "If she is, I will."

They went into the kitchen, Amy looking over her shoulder with concern.

As the door shut, River came into the room, followed by Mickey.

"He's asleep again."

Martha glanced at him in acknowledgment as she told Rhys where everything was in the flat.

River walked over to stand beside the Doctor.

"So for once our futures and pasts are the same," he said, watching her.

"I guess so. Being here when she is…it makes me feel strange. I'm going to lie down, see if I feel better on the TARDIS," she said, rubbing her forehead.

"We'll be going soon. Which reminds me…"

Climbing onto the sofa he shouted, "We're leaving in five minutes. Get your stuff, say your goodbyes and get on the TARDIS, thank you!"

Martha ran through to Harry's room, shouting, "I'll be back in a minute!"

With a sigh, Mickey followed after River as Gwen kissed her daughter and Rhys goodbye. A minute later she did it again.

Jack watched her wistfully before walking over to where they were stood.

"Rhys, Gwen, I'm sorry for everything that's happened to you because of me. I really am and-"

He was silenced by Gwen's hug.

"I know, Jack. I know."

Taking her hand, he smiled at Rhys who smiled tentatively back.

"Did you bring weapons? We don't have any here and-"

Letting go of his hand, Gwen held up two large suitcases, smirking. "Every gun we might possible need is in here."

"That's my girl," he said with a grin.

After kissing her daughter as many times as she could, Gwen looked up at Rhys with tears in her eyes.

"Stay safe," he said quietly, kissing her once more.

"I love you," she whispered.

"I love you too. Now go on, they're waiting."

"Ok, I mean it this time. This is my goodbye. I'm going. I love you, Anwen."

Jack smiled at Rhys again before picking up one of the suitcases and leading the way onto the TARDIS, pulling along Gwen behind him.

"Martha, lets go!" the Doctor called.

"I'm here, I'm here," she said, hurrying down the hall, wiping at her eyes. "First time I've been away from him," she explained. The Doctor put his arm around her shoulders briefly before pulling away and nudging her with his elbow. She smiled.

They entered the TARDIS, the Doctor slamming the door behind him as everyone turned to stare at him.

"So what now?" Jack asked.

The Doctor shrugged, making his way to the console.

"We'll stay in the Vortex for now," he said tiredly, setting the destination to that. "See what we can think of later."

"I hope she's ok," Jack said softly.

The Doctor looked up at him sadly. "I do too."

River dreamt of a bare, white room, the lights blindingly bright.

On one wall there was a row of glass panels. On the opposite wall there was a mirror running along the entire length of it, from ceiling to floor.

The other two walls were plain.

In the middle of the room was a bed where a woman lay sleeping. Her head lolled to one side, her blonde hair splayed out on the pillow, her eyelids flickering every so often.

The woman's hands rested on her stomach, rising and falling with each breath she took. Her wrists were stained with bruises. River knew automatically that if she was to pull the robe's sleeves up the rest of her arms would be bruised too.

For some reason it made her sad.

Not just oh-I-feel-so-sorry-for-her sad. An immense wave of sadness that made her want to shake the woman awake, take her away from the eerie room and keep her safe.

She wanted to protect this woman.

River felt herself beginning to wake up, awareness tugging at the edges of her sleep-ridden mind.

_No,_ she thought, terrified of what would happen to the woman if she wasn't there to watch over her. _I'm still tired, stay asleep. Don't wake up. Don't wake-_

River awoke with a gasp, jumping up so quickly she twisted her neck.

"Doctor!" she yelled, letting the door slam behind her as she ran from her room. "Doctor, I saw her!"

Just before River had awoken she had seen a sign clamped to one wall. For the first time in a while, she felt hope.

"Doctor, I know where she is!"


	14. Have You Ever Read Jane Eyre?

**Disclaimer: **Still don't own Doctor Who, doubt I ever will.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Fourteen<strong>

**Have You Ever Read Jane Eyre?**

When Rose woke, she found herself unable to move. Panicking, she tried to sit up, nearly strangling herself in the process..

"Now, now, Rosie, stay calm. We don't want you to hurt yourself, not now. Not when we're so close."

Ignoring whatever else the woman was saying, Rose realised that her hands were bound to the bed. Twisting them as much as she could, she felt her restraints. Her heart sank as she brushed her fingertips over the stiff leather. It would take some time for even a knife to get through them, never mind using just her diminished strength.

Trying to shift her body, she realised that she was bound similarly around her chest and neck.

"Are you listening, girl? When I tell you to push, you push."

Rose's eyes widened, understanding what was happening. "No…oh God, no."

Madame Kovarian's face loomed over her, wearing a smug smile.

"Oh yes. And your precious Doctor hasn't found you yet, has he?"

Rose felt herself begin to hyperventilate when pain ripped through her, making her scream.

"That's it. Now breathe, Rosie. Just breathe."

"I hate you," she snarled, pulling against her restraints.

"Of course you do. Now breathe," Madame Kovarian spat, moving out of Rose's sight.

"I'll kill you," she rasped, the leather chafing her neck as she attempted to move. A hand pushed her head down forcefully.

She screamed again.

"Nearly there," she heard softly. She felt tears run into her hair as she lay paralysed.

Maybe she could kick them away? Her legs didn't feel…

She bit her lip to stop herself from sobbing in shame and despair. Her feet were bound similarly to her hands, her legs apart and, by the feel of them, numb from having her knees bent for so long.

She had no chance.

"Push!"

She cried out in pain, trying to fight her instincts and losing.

"Push, girl! Push!"

"Doctor!" she shrieked. "Doctor, where are you?"

"Be quiet and _push_," Madame Kovarian hissed.

Time blurred, a rather ironic statement considering she was the embodiment of time.

She kept track of what was going on through sound and pain; the people moving around her, Madame Kovarian whispering encouragement to her, pushing, crying for the Doctor.

This should have been the happiest day of her life. Instead it was her personal version of Hell.

After one final push, Rose heard a spluttering cry.

"What is it?" she gasped, trying to see her baby.

"A girl," Madame Kovarian breathed. "Did we forget to tell you before?"

"You bastards," Rose growled. "Give her to me."

Madame Kovarian smiled at her. "I'm afraid we'll be leaving now, Rosie."

Rose's eyes widened with fear, her breath catching in her throat. "Please. Please, let me see her. Let me hold her. I'm her mother."

"No…no, you're not. Not anymore."

"Oh God," Rose whispered. "Please, please."

She saw her daughter be carried away, her face still hidden from her view. Then she saw the needle.

"NO! I WON'T SLEEP! GET AWAY FROM ME, NO!"

As she pulled, she noticed one of her wrist restraints had come loose. Carefully, so that they couldn't see, she shifted her wrist, twisting it this way and that before finally pulling her hand free. She hid it quickly, placing it beneath the leather. Waiting until the man was close enough she threw her right hand up, hitting him in his throat and managing to catch him off guard; his body jerked in pain and shock, the needle flying out of his hand.  
>Scrabbling with her free hand, Rose unbuckled the restraint around her neck, whimpering as she clawed her already-raw skin.<p>

She heard a door shut, the click of a lock and then silence; they were gone.

"I'm coming," she breathed, trying to ignore the pain she felt…well, everywhere. "I'm coming for you."

Pushing away thoughts that she was going too slow, Rose moved onto the strip of leather around her chest, gulping down air when it was released and she could finally breathe freely.

Her hand had become clumsy, trembling with fear and adrenaline as she fiddled with the buckle, repeatedly missing it.

Growling in frustration, she yanked at the restraint around her other wrist.

Her scream echoed around the empty room.

Clutching her now dislocated wrist to her chest, she unbuckled the leather around her ankles.

As she was doing so, she wondered why they hadn't used something more high-tech than a thick strap of leather; even metal manacles would have been better.

"_Finally_."

Staggering off the bed, her breathing laboured, Rose stumbled over to the door. Falling against it, she frowned at how weak her legs were, making her feel as though she was wading through a marsh.

Then she realised she was bleeding.

That would also explain why she felt like she was about to tip to one side. Pushing back the nausea and dizziness, she felt white-hot anger ripple through her.

With a roar, she tugged at the door handle. It wouldn't even go down an inch.

"Damn it!"

She was tired, beaten, bleeding, weak and sobbing hysterically; her baby had been stolen, the Doctor was useless and she couldn't even get a door open.

So much for Rose Tyler, Defender of the Earth.

She whirled around, scanning the room for anything she could use to break the door, furious when she realised the only thing was the bed; there was no way she would be able to move it in her current state.

She noticed the glass panels on one side and grinned.

Yes, it was probably a hundred times stronger than normal glass but she was determined.

Taking a deep breath and preparing herself for a world of pain, she ran unsteadily towards them.

The impact jarred her, nearly breaking every bone on the right side of her body.

_Nice one, Rose,_ she thought scathingly. _Even the bed and door plan would have been better than this._

Her head swam as she leant against the glass, willing herself not to faint. Tremors racked her body as she realised that Kovarian was probably long gone.

She'd failed. Not even an hour had passed since she'd become a mother and she had failed in the most spectacular way possible.

She had let her baby be taken without a fight.

Rage as she had never felt built within her, desperately looking for an outlet. Her eyes flashed gold as she shrieked, a wave blasting out of her body and smashing the glass in front of her.

She raised her hand instinctively to protect her eyes. She could feel the glass ripping into her flesh, could hear the tinkling as it landed around her.

She found she didn't care.

Scrambling over the bigger, broken pieces on the floor she hissed as they tore into her feet, the hiss becoming a wince as the splinters dug into her with every step she took.

Blanking out her surroundings she headed for the door, sighing with relief when it opened easily.

"Some luck," she breathed. "Some luck at last."  
>Limping down the darkened hall, she kept her eyes on the only door ahead of her, light shining through the slits at the top and bottom.<p>

It seemed to take an eternity getting there, each step lasting an age, each breath a millennium.

_Which I guess it is,_ she thought, thoroughly amused. _Oh God, don't get hysterical now. _

Reaching the door, she leant against it, praying to whatever god was watching that she wouldn't throw up or freak out if she looked at herself.

Steeling herself, she glanced down.

The gods obviously weren't paying attention to her.

Seeing the trail of blood behind her, the pools of it at her feet and the glass sticking out her of her limbs was enough to make her puke.

The blood _still_ tricking down her legs, as well as the deep welts where the leather had bitten into the skin around her ankles and wrist was enough to make her freak out.

But what really caught her breath was the array of bruises blooming up the outside of her right arm and leg, the small bump hanging out of her skin that was her left wrist.

Feeling the bile rise, she took several calming breaths. It did nothing to prevent her from throwing up.

Wiping her mouth, she pulled the door open, shielding her eyes with her good hand as the light hit her.

Moving forward slowly, she realised she was in a hangar; a cold, empty hangar that had no ships for her to send out an emergency signal, nothing there to help her escape.

Nothing there to follow Madame Kovarian in.

"Doctor, where are you?" she asked shakily. "The one time I really need you and you're not here."

Finally everything became real to her. Her pain, her mental anguish at losing her baby, her disappointment in the Doctor all hit her with the force of a battering ram.

Falling to her knees, she covered her face with her good hand as she sobbed, the stars surrounding her being the only witnesses to her heartbreak.

"Tell me one more time what you saw," the Doctor said quietly, though his eyes were blazing.  
>River exhaled angrily. "We're wasting time! I know where she is, now tell the TARDIS and let's go!"<p>

"We don't know when!" he cried, throwing his hands in the air. "We could go too early, we could go too late, we could go before the place even existed!"

River scoffed. "I highly doubt that, unless maybe you're driving."

"Stop it!" he snapped. "Stop making jokes like this isn't something important. I can't go there and find out I got it wrong, and that Rose isn't there. I can't do that."

River nodded, her mood turning serious.

Jack ran into the console room, Mickey and Martha close behind him.

"They know what happened. What none of us know is what we're-"

_Doctor!_

"Did you hear that?" he asked sharply, glancing around at them.

"What, me talking?" Jack asked dryly.

"No, no. It…it sounded like Rose."

The four shook their heads, confusion on every face.

"What did she say?" Martha asked, her voice low in case he heard something else.

"She…she called my name. Screamed it, I-how didn't you hear it?"

"Maybe it's like a Time Lord thing," River said quietly, her eyes following his every move.

The Doctor shook his head.

_Doctor, where are you? _

"There, I heard her again!"

"Could you have a link with her?" Jack asked, frowning in thought. "I've heard of it happening before."

"No, I can't go in her mind anymore."

"Well maybe it's not in her mind."

The Doctor rolled his eyes, frantically running through possible explanations.

"You're talking about a mental link, Jack. That means it's in your mind."

"Could it be the baby?" River asked.

"No, it was Rose. But I could feel everything she felt; pain, fear, hatred. It's killing me not knowing where she is when I know she's feeling that. I should be there," he said desperately, running his hands through his hair.

"Like twins," Mickey said simply.

Everyone froze.

"What?" River whispered.

"Twins; they're supposed to feel the other ones pain and stuff even if they're miles away from each other, right? Well what if him and Rose are like that but…" he trailed off, trying to think of a word to describe the couple.

"Lovers?" Martha suggested.

"Let's go with that. But say they did, and they could hear each other-"

"Like Jane Eyre," the Doctor murmured.

"Yeah, like Jane-what?" Mickey asked, turning to stare at the Doctor. Martha laughed at his dumb-founded expression as he realised the Doctor had stolen his thunder.

"Wait, how is it like Jane Eyre?" Jack asked, looking over to River, who shrugged.

"Have you ever read Jane Eyre? Any of you?"

They all shook their heads.

"You really should, it's a great book. But that's not the point. In it Rochester and Jane get separated and then one day in complete despair, Rochester shouts her name out the window and she hears him _but no one else does._ It's like…they have a kind of link, think of it as psychic, not mental like Jack said, and that's what connects them. But the link is their love."

River opened her mouth before shutting it again, not really sure what the Doctor was trying to say.

Mickey burst out with, "Who the hell is Rochester?" as Jack asked slowly, "So you're saying you can hear Rose in your head because you have a bond of…love?"

The Doctor nodded, grinning.

"Brilliant, isn't it? That's why it's not killing me."

"It sounds insane," Mickey said blankly.

"I know. But I can feel her, here," he said softly, placing his hand on his chest, right over his left heart. "It's like something's pulling me to her."

"You know where she is?" River asked sharply.

_Doctor, where are you? The one time I really need you and you're not here. _

"Something's happened," the Doctor said fearfully, all traces of his good mood gone. "We're going now."

Martha stepped forward, grabbing his arm.

"You need to prepare yourself for…anything."

"You think I don't know that?" he snarled, wrenching his arm out of her grasp. She watched him, her eyes full of sorrow.

"He has no idea, does he?" River murmured, her gaze also on the Doctor.

Martha shook her head; she didn't trust herself to talk without bursting into tears.

"I don't think this will be as simple as he thinks. I don't like it, it feels _too_ easy," Jack muttered, joining them.

Mickey, however, had gone to stand beside the Doctor, who glanced up at him, grateful that he wasn't saying anything, just keeping him company, showing him that he was there.

He realised he'd always underestimated Mickey. This Mickey wasn't an idiot, not anymore; he was a man, a husband, a father…and now a good friend.

Maybe he always had been.

Smiling slightly, the Doctor brushed his mind against the TARDIS' vast consciousness, giving her an idea of the feeling he had.

"Help me," he whispered. "Take me to her."

The TARDIS hummed but didn't move.

"Please, I don't know what else to do."  
>Still nothing.<p>

Furious, the Doctor pulled down a lever before spinning to the right and punching another one up. His dance continued, stopping whenever he passed something that caught his mind's eye. He was acting completely on his feelings, using whatever hint he could get to take him to Rose.

He realised why the TARDIS had ignored him.

"Clever old girl," he praised, before hitting the engines.

"Where are we going?"

He pulled the screen towards him, squinting at it.

"Dark Sword, located on a small meteor, owned by a B. Wolf. It's September, in the year-oooh that's not a good year, not liking this at all," he said, making a face at the screen.

"Are we going to the right place, she's definitely there?" Jack asked, excitement coursing through him at the thought of finding his best friend.

"Oh yes. I can feel it."

"We need Gwen," Jack said quickly, running out of the console room. "I'll be back in a minute!"

The Doctor frowned. "Where did she go?"

"The TARDIS was making her feel a bit sick. She's never been on her before," Martha said with a smile.

"But…but she didn't say 'It's bigger on the inside'," he said sadly, looking like a child who'd lost its toy.

Martha rolled her eyes just as Jack returned with a grumpy-looking Gwen and the suitcases full of guns.

"Take one pass it along," he joked, dropping them to the ground and flipping the lids up.

The Doctor watched in disdain and disbelief as Jack handed out the guns as though they were sweets, giving Mickey a huge, thick, obviously alien kind of machine gun that required him to hold it with both hands, as Martha and Gwen took two smaller guns each. Jack took as many as he could hide on his person, keeping a small hand gun to hold.

The Doctor shuddered at the thought of where they'd ended up.

Martha muttered something to Gwen who cried, "It's bigger on the inside!"

The Doctor scowled at her. She merely winked.

Expecting a bumpy landing the Doctor shouted, "Now every one hold on, I'm fed up of you all falling over and blaming me!"

Surprisingly, it was unbelievably smooth.

He looked over to the console, his grin becoming a pout when he saw River at the controls.

"You made it like that," he stated.

She nodded, looking incredibly smug.

Grumbling to himself, he realised what was about to happen. His hands began to shake, his hearts beating out a rapid rhythm against his chest.

He walked slowly towards the doors, terrified his legs would give out beneath him. He hardly noticed the others following behind him, guns at the ready.

Opening the door, the first thing he did was wince at how bright it was. As his eyes adjusted the light, he glanced around hoping to see Rose.

Rose. He was here for Rose. She was what mattered.

Then why was he so afraid?

"_And as for you, Sir Doctor. Fascinating; there is no name. Why would a man hide his title in such despair? Oh but look. There's still one word with the power of the days."_

"_The naming won't work on me."_

"_Oh, but your heart grows cold. A north wind blows and carries down the distant...Rose?"_

"_Oh, big mistake, because that name keeps me fighting!"_

This was his fight, his final battle in the war to find her.

_Just think of her name. Her name is everything, _he told himself, letting all his love for Rose build in his chest.

_Rose._

He took a few steps forward, just enough so that he was outside the TARDIS as the door slammed shut, automatically locking.

"Doctor!" River yelled, pulling at the handle.

"What are you doing, open!" he shouted, banging on the door.

He heard Mickey shout, "Use your key, idiot!"

_Turn around,_ she told him, her voice as overwhelming as ever.

_Rose._

Doing as she said, he turned, hyperaware of every part of his body.

_Rose._

He froze, stunned, whispering, "No."


	15. Gone

Don't own it.

Now I am not a doctor nor a medical student so I apologise if anything in this chapter is incorrect but I hope you enjoy it all the same.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Fifteen <strong>

**Gone**

Sat on the cold floor in the middle of the hangar was a woman. She was dressed in a plain robe, her feet bare. Her blonde hair was a tangled mess from the amount of times she'd run her hand through it.

She was alone.

The Doctor's hearts smashed against his ribs; he'd found her.

_He'd found her!_

"Rose? ROSE!" he yelled, skidding across the floor in his haste to get to her.

It was only as he got closer that he realised there was more than just messy hair wrong with her.

He could hear his breath coming out in harsh gasps, feel the blood pounding through his veins, as he took in the sight before him.

Now he was closer, he realised her robe wasn't plain at all, far from it. She was surrounded by blood, a path of it leading to her and plenty more still coming from her wounds.

_Her wounds, _the Doctor thought, shock taking over as he slowed. It was like looking at someone who had come home from battle, a gory image from some old war film.

Now he'd found her, he was scared to go near her. She'd suffered so much because he wasn't here; because it had taken him so long to find her.  
>His eyes traced the welts around her wrists and ankles, the burn and cuts on her neck, the tiny slices showering almost every inch of her bare flesh, the way her wrist was obviously no longer connected to the rest of her arm, the splinters of glass poking out of her legs, her feet, her arms, even around her stomach and chest; he numbly took in tthe bruises that coated the right side of her limbs, the blood smeared over her face, her torn robe, her hands.<p>

_Her face. _

Her face was covered by her hair, only her chin showing, giving him the idea that her entire face was covered in blood. He didn't know for sure, he just had her chin to go on and a chin was only a portion of her face so-

_Oh shut up, _he told himself, dropping to his knees next to her and reaching out gently with his hand, touching her chin softly and tilting it towards him.

"Rose, you're ok, tell me you're ok. I mean, obviously you're not ok but tell me you're not dy-you can't die, you can't. I'm so sorry, but you're safe now, you're…" he trailed off as she looked up at him, batting his hand away, her eyes swollen and red, tears falling.

"You're too late," she snarled.

"What?" he breathed, hurt welling up inside him at how she'd pushed him away. He winced as he took in her face, the way the right side was swollen, her one black eye, more bruises spread across her cheek. He stopped himself from touching the little cuts all over her face.

_What happened to her?_

"They're gone," she sobbed. "They took her and they're gone. They didn't even let me name her. I didn't even see her! They just went. Doctor, she's _**gone**_!" she screamed, feeling her throat burn with the ferocity with which she said the last word.

"Melody?" he asked blankly, completely forgetting that Melody was safe in Martha's.

"No. Oh, Doctor…"

"Rose, you're scaring me," he said shakily.

"Do I need to spell it out for you?" she asked harshly, her eyes blazing with fury.

He knew it wasn't directed at him, of course he knew that…well maybe he didn't know that for certain. But it still filled him with terror.

He swallowed and said, "What-?"

"Doctor, they took our baby. Doctor, they have our daughter."

He closed his eyes, fighting tears as he realised he'd failed.

He was too late.

She was right.

"I'm…Rose, I'm-"

He reached out to hug her, to hold her close so that he could prove to himself that she was really there. She flinched away from him, hissing as it hurt her numerous injuries.

"We should get you back on the TARDIS," he said quietly.

"No," she gasped, struggling to her feet. "God!" she suddenly burst out. "I'm going to find that woman and beat the crap out of her!"

Despite his dark mood, the Doctor laughed. Once he started he couldn't stop. Rose soon joined in, clutching at her chest.

"Stop," she breathed. "Need to stop."

He took several deep breaths to calm himself and looked down, surprised when he saw that they were holding hands, noticing that Rose was staring too.

"I'm sorry," she murmured, rubbing her thumb across his hand. "I've been here for God knows how long and it hurts."

"It's ok," he said quickly. "We'll get you on the TARDIS and Martha can see what's wrong and then we'll go to her flat and Rory can do his nurse-y thing."

"No. I didn't mean all…" She gestured to herself nonchalantly, though he didn't miss her wince as she saw her various cuts and bruises. "I mean because…because she's gone," she said, her voice trembling. "I was too slow. If I'd fought harder, if I hadn't bothered trying the door, maybe I'd have gotten here in time."

"Rose, look at me. We will find her. I found you, I found Melody; I'll find her too. We both will," he said firmly, clutching her hand in his.

She nodded before saying shakily, "Can you help me get this glass out my body please?"

"Of course. Come on," he said, wondering how he could help her without hurting her.

"ROSE!" Jack yelled, sprinting across the hangar, having finally gotten the TARDIS to open the door. Martha, Mickey, Gwen and River were behind him, all analysing their surroundings. Satisfied they were safe, they walked slowly over, unsure of whether the three wanted space.

"Oh, Rose," Jack whispered. "I'd hug you but I don't want to hurt you."

"Join the club," the Doctor muttered.

Rose chuckled before gasping in pain.

"Right," Jack said, gritting his teeth. "Rose, I'm sorry but this is gonna hurt like hell."

Before she could say anything, he swooped her into his arms, her left side pressed against him, her injured wrist cradled to her chest as he carried her back to the TARDIS, wishing he could close his ears to her sobs.

"Jack!" the Doctor snarled, hurrying after him, wishing he could have done that. Deep down he knew he couldn't; even to help her he could never hurt her. He promised her never again, and he intended to keep it.

River ran to the TARDIS door, pushing it open as Jack thanked her, Rose's head lolling on his shoulder.

"Doctor, I think she's passed out!" he called, trying hard not to let his panic show in his voice.

The Doctor swore in Gallifreyan, hurrying after Jack.

"You two, search this place, see if they left anything," he called to Martha and Mickey.

"Doctor, I'm the…doctor. And I think we should stay together; I doubt they left anything here."

"Fine!" he yelled, his temper getting the best of him. "Get on the TARDIS then so we can go!"

"Me and Gwen can take a look around, yeah?" Mickey said in a placating voice, glancing over at Gwen. She nodded, tucking one gun into her boot as she kept the other at eye level.

"Let's go, this place gives me the creeps," she said darkly. "Sooner we get out of here the better."

"You might need more than just the two of you," Martha said worriedly.

"I don't think so; if anyone was still here they wouldn't have let Rose stay sat there where we could find her so easily."

Martha bit her lip, still concerned. She had little chance to say anything for the Doctor had already reached the TARDIS.

"Martha!" he yelled, her name echoing around the hangar.

Pushing away her unease, she ran over and onto the TARDIS, making her way to the medical bay where Rose was laying on a small bed, the Doctor and Jack stood at her bedside.

She stirred as Martha walked in.

"No," she whispered, glancing at the bare, white walls surrounding her, attempting to sit up and being reminded of what had happened that last time she did that. "Please not here."

"Rose, you need to calm down or you'll hurt yourself," Martha said in a soothing voice.

Rose laughed hysterically, grabbing at her neck, still feeling as though the restraint was in place.

"I've just given birth, ran into reinforced glass, gauged my own skin out with my nails, pulled my wrist out of place because I was in a bit of a rush, walked through broken glass, had a shower made entirely of glass, pretty much done everything you can do with glass and you're worried I'll hurt myself even more?" she cried.

The Doctor was staring at her in terror; never in his wildest dreams had he imagined that she would suffer so much.

"Rose, I'm sorry but I'm going to have to sedate you," Martha said loudly, pulling out a needle from one of the numerous draws.

Rose's eyes widened in fear.

"No, I won't go asleep again, you can't make me! Please, no!" she shrieked, thrashing in her bed. Jack leapt forward, pushing her shoulders down as gently as he could.

She continued to shriek.

So much for not hurting herself anymore, she thought as the pieces of glass buried themselves deeper in her skin.

"Please," she sobbed. "I'm begging you; don't put me to sleep, not again."  
>The Doctor was frozen, tears pouring down his cheeks.<p>

"Rose, you need to sleep so we can make you better," he said hoarsely.

"NO!" she bellowed, lashing out with her good hand, kicking her legs at Martha as she came closer.

"Rose, I'm so sorry but I have to," she said, her voice breaking.

Remembering what she did before, Rose went still waiting until Martha was right beside her before smashing her right hand up into Martha's chin.

She did exactly the same as the man had.

Before she could celebrate, however, she felt a prick in her leg.

Glancing past Jack she saw a red-eyed River holding a now empty syringe.

"I'm sorry, Rose," River said softly, "but it's for the best."

Her world once again turned black.

The Doctor sank into a chair as Rose went limp, his mind numb.

"What did they do to her?" Martha gasped, brushing at her eyes with one hand and clutching her chin with the other.

River shook her head, still staring at Rose's face.

"She's going to hate me," she breathed.

"She'll hate us all," Jack said quietly, looking more serious than the Doctor had ever seen him.

Martha shook her head to rid herself of the troubling thoughts and moved forward slowly.

She picked up a small torch, shining it into both of Rose's eyes.

"She's asleep, should be out for a few hours." She looked over to the Doctor and said, "Tell Mickey and Gwen to hurry up; I'm going to need Rory's help."

"I'll go," River said softly.

"Me too," Jack said, the two leaving as fast as they could without running.

"Doctor, I need you to help me get this robe off her."

"What? Why?"

Martha stared at him.

"One, I need to see if she has any injuries to her stomach and chest. Two, she can't stay in it anyway because it's covered in blood. And three, I can't pull it over her head on my own without hurting her."

"Well can't we just…cut it off?"

Martha rolled her eyes but started to look for a pair of scissors nonetheless.

"Here," she said quietly, placing them in the Doctor's hands. "Cut it right up the middle but pull the fabric away from her or you might catch her instead."

The Doctor nodded, trying to steady his hand as he started to cut.

When he had sliced right the way up, he put the scissors down on a nearby table and looked to Martha for more instructions.

"Doctor!" Jack shouted, his voice growing louder. "We're all back, there was nothing there. We found…we found where they kept Rose. It was a bare, white room-"

"Just like here," the Doctor said, his voice low. "That's why she didn't want to stay here."

Jack entered the medical bay, his face looking unusually pale.

"Doctor…" He hesitated, his expression unfathomable. "There was a trail of blood leading right from her bed to where we found her in the hangar. And the glass…she smashed through these glass panels but she must have been pretty near when she did. I don't-I don't know how-"

"Jack, sit down and take deep breaths. If you think you're going to be sick, sit by the sink," Martha said calmly, her eyes betraying her voice.

She was as freaked out as the rest of them. The only difference was she was a doctor; she was better at hiding it.

Jack nodded, staggering over to a chair and almost falling into it.

"I'll be back," the Doctor said in a rush, running out of the medical bay shouting River's name.

She met him at the top of the stairs, worry plain on her face.

"What? Has something happened to Rose?"

"No. Sorry, I didn't mean to…I need you to take us home, to Martha's."

"When?"

He remembered what Amy had said about getting to know Melody better and frowned.

"Perhaps a day or two after we left."

"We were gone three days," she said quietly, her eyes far away. "I remember two nights when I said I'd sleep on my own but then went into where…they were sleeping."

"Right. Three days later."

River nodded, hurrying back down the stairs as the Doctor headed back to Rose.

Jack was still in the chair, a glass of water clutched in his hand.

The Doctor tried not to think of how much blood there must have been for Jack to react like this.

They heard the TARDIS' engines start, and soon they were in flight.

"You ready?" Martha asked determinedly, wishing that she wasn't the one that had to do this.

"Will she feel any pain?" the Doctor asked in a hard voice.

"I've given her some morphine but I don't know how quickly it'll work on Rose since you said she wasn't exactly human anymore."

The Doctor had told them of Rose's changes earlier that day, when they had still been in the Vortex. He was glad now that he had.

"Ok, I need you to lift her up, just so I can slip the robe off her shoulders. Sit on her left side; her right's badly bruised and we might do more harm than good if we do that side. Be careful with her wrist, I don't want the bone to come through."

The Doctor nodded, moving to sit on the edge of the bed.

Slipping his arm under her back, he lifted her as gently as he could, just enough so that he could get his knee under, before resting her on it, her head on his chest.

Martha pulled at the frayed edge of the robe, pulling it down her right arm slowly, before freeing her from it.

The Doctor gasped, his breath being ripped from him involuntarily.

He was right. Her right side was mottled with bruises; he realised that as she hit the glass she must have raised her arm, meaning that her ribs and hip hit the glass as well. The bruises continued right down her the outside of her thigh to her ankle, tracing a path down the whole right side of her body.

"Ok, well done. So far so good," Martha said quietly. "Before we take it off the other side, I'm going to unbuckle this cuff around her wrist."

"Maybe we should leave it until we can put her wrist back into place. It might be keeping it straight; if we take it off the bone might come through and you said you don't want that," Jack said, his voice stronger than before. The Doctor noted that his face was regaining colour, relieved.

If Jack went down he didn't know what he'd do.

"Doctor!"

"Is that…is it Rory?" Martha asked incredulously.

"Are we here already?" Jack asked, confused.

Rory burst into the room, his face anxious. When he saw Rose he breathed, "Oh God."

"Just the nurse I need," Martha said bracingly. "I need to reset Rose's wrist, I could do with your help."

"You're doing it now?" the Doctor asked sharply.

"It makes sense."

Rory came forward, glancing between Martha and the Doctor.

"I want you to unbuckle this. As soon as you do I'm going to put the bone back into place, just in case removing it makes it any worse."

Taking a deep breath, Rory nodded at her and began to undo the leather restraint.

"What the hell happened?" he asked quietly.

"Later," Martha murmured, her eyes on the Doctor. "You're not going to like this."

As he opened his mouth to speak, Rory cried, "Now!"

As Rory pulled away the restraint, Martha snapped the bone back into place immediately.

Rose howled in agony, twisting on her bed as the Doctor held onto her, whispering into her ear.

"I just thought," Jack said suddenly, trying to drown out Rose's cries of pain. "You didn't check her heart rate or anything."

"She can't die, there was no point," she said briskly, obviously wanting to get it all over with as quickly as possible. "I could just start treating her."

"Her hand's ok now?" the Doctor asked, yet more tears running down his face as he kissed the top of Rose's head.

"It should be fine. Now we'll have to clean all of her cuts, stitch up the ones too big to heal on their own, check how she's coping after the…birth."

Rory's head snapped up from where he was inspecting the burn on Rose's neck.

"She got no treatment?"

"I don't think so," Martha said in a hushed voice.

Shaking with anger, Rory asked, "Is this robe coming off?"

Martha nodded, looking exhausted.

The Doctor glared at Rory, who backed off, letting him do it alone. Like Martha before, he went as slowly and gently as he could, sliding it down her arm and pulling it free of her body.

He closed his eyes.

A restraint around her chest had dug into her skin, leaving two raw lines where she'd obviously pulled at it.

He tried to push away images of her still-swollen stomach.

"All those times I used to joke about seeing her naked and when I finally do it's like this," Jack said, tears in his eyes as he looked at Rose's broken body.

The Doctor let out a sob, pity for Rose and hatred for Madame Kovarian rearing up inside him.

He brushed her hair away from her face with the lightest of touches, terrified that she would wake.

"Will they scar?" Jack asked, sounding disgusted.

"I'm not sure."

"If I ever find who did this to her, I'll kill them," he snarled.

"Doctor, you might want to leave," Martha said softly. "She's going to be in a lot of pain when we start taking this glass out."

The Doctor shook his head, keeping his eyes tight shut.

"I'll stay right here, with her."

"Wait," Rory said quickly, taking his jacket off. "Put this over her…erm…you know, her…"

"Boobs?" Martha suggested, the smallest of smiles on her face.

"Yeah. She might not appreciate us all working on her when she's-"

"Bare-ass naked?" Jack said dryly.

"Shut up," the Doctor snapped, opening his eyes briefly to take the jacket from Rory before folding it, with much difficulty, and laying it over Rose's breasts. He shut his eyes again.

He pushed away thoughts that he was being a coward and instead focused on soothing Rose, who was trembling in his arms.

"Does she have any shorts here?" Martha asked distractedly, rummaging through a cupboard.

"Maybe in her room."

Martha slammed the cupboard door closed, running one hand over her eyes.

"Right, I'll go check."

She left quickly, wiping at her eyes.

_This is too much for all of us,_ the Doctor thought wearily.

"Jack, can you help me?" Rory asked, pulling out a bottle of antiseptic and cotton wool balls.

"Sure. What we doing?"

"The smaller cuts need cleaning. Dab at them a few times but leave them open. No bandages or anything."

Jack nodded, taking the bottle and some cotton wool from him and starting straight away.

Rory had pulled another bottle out, as well as a cream that could supposedly heal burns within a day.

"Alien medicine," he muttered, carrying it over and setting it on the table beside the Doctor.

"Do I need to move?" he asked without opening his eyes.

"No. You can help me put this cream on her neck though."

Still with his eyes closed the Doctor reached out with his hand, onto which Rory put some of the cream. Together they rubbed it in as Martha returned, a pair of denim shorts in her hand.

"Oh God, I've just thought; how are we going to get them on?"

"There," Rory murmured, gesturing to the discarded pair of scissors. "Just cut them down the middle and lay them over her. They're just to keep her covered."

"Well, Rose, I hope they weren't a favourite of yours," Martha muttered, slicing them down the back and laying them over her.

Suddenly the Doctor asked, "Why do you think all the other leather restraints cut into her skin but this one burnt her?"

"It might have been tighter than the others," Martha said quietly, holding a metal bowl and a rather large pair of tweezers that she had found in yet another cupboard. "Could have rubbed against her neck as she moved."

Jack had finished with the cuts on Rose's face, and moved onto the ones on her neck, dodging Rory and the Doctor's hands. He jumped every time Rose cried out as the alcohol stung her, whispering "Sorry" and wishing she could be immune to the pain.

"Morphine didn't work," he remarked, seeing Martha's face crumple out of the corner of his eye.

"Rory, come here a minute," she said softly.

"What am I doing?"

"When I take the glass out, I want you to hold a towel to the cut to staunch the bleeding until I have the needle threaded."

"How many is there?" he asked, his eyes travelling across her legs, moving up her body, wincing as he realised how many there actually were.

"A lot," Martha said, noticing his gaze. She turned away from him, getting to the job at hand. It was quiet inside the room, the only sounds in the room being the tinkle of glass as it hit metal, the Doctor's murmurs, Rose's moans, the TARDIS' comforting hums.

The four stayed for hours, treating, comforting and healing Rose, talking occasionally, staying silent mostly, the only thought on every mind that the sooner they finished, the sooner their friend would be better.


	16. Waiting

Don't own Doctor Who or any of his quotes or the characters as I am not BBC.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Sixteen<strong>

**Waiting **

The Doctor yawned, feeling more exhausted than he had in a long, long time; he hardly ever needed sleep, and even when he did he rarely let himself. He didn't need to look any further than the woman lying beside him to find the cause of his exhaustion.

The Doctor had three worst days of his life.

The first was when he had watched Gallifrey burn. He knew he would never forget the horror of that day, nor would he ever allow himself to. He deserved the guilt and the pain. He would carry it willingly until his dying day.

The second was when he first lost Rose. So many moments that all built up to the most _heartbreaking_ day. Sending her away, getting her back only to lose her again, to watch her fall towards Hell, feeling her on the other side of that wall and knowing that he would never see or touch her, never have a Rose-hug ever again. That was his Hell.

The third was leaving her with his twin, quite easily the most agonising decision he'd ever had to make, though he would never admit to it. He'd sacrificed his own happiness so that she could have everything she ever wanted; that was the way it should be. He never regretted it. On the contrary, he took comfort in it, knowing that somewhere she was happy with a piece of him. It still hurt though.

He shook his head distractedly. It took him just over a second to realise that he had many worst days of his life; those were only the top three.

He thought that maybe this topped every single one of them.

Dragging himself away from his morbid thoughts, he listened in on Jack and Mickey's hushed conversation.

After Martha and Rory had done all they could, they had bade their goodbyes, making their way back into Martha's flat and promising to return in a few hours. Mickey had joined them a few minutes later, after they'd found Rose some new clothes.

Rory had declined taking his jacket back and said Rose could keep it; despite the trying circumstances, the Doctor had found it hard to keep a smile off his face as Rory binned the bloodstained jacket when he thought no one was looking.

"I feel like I don't know her anymore," Mickey said quietly. "She's been through so much…she's a different Rose to the one I knew."

The Doctor glanced over at him, guilt clawing at his chest. He pulled Rose gently closer to him, nuzzling her hair, breathing in her smell.

Of course she was still the same. She was his Rose, she'd never change.

Except…she had. Much as he wanted to deny it she had, in the most impossible ways.

And it was all because of him.

"_Do you think you'll ever settle down?_

"_The Doctor never will, so I can't. I'll just keep on travelling."  
>"And he'll keep on changing. And in forty years time, fifty, they'll be this woman, this strange woman walking through the marketplace, on some planet a billion miles from Earth. But she's not Rose Tyler. Not anymore. She's not even human."<em>

The Doctor blinked, confused. He had never seen that, nor had Rose ever told him about it. He stared down in amazement at Rose and whispered, "You're still Rose Tyler. You will always be Rose Tyler."

She shifted slightly, wincing in her sleep.

He realised sadly that her mind was once again blank. He knew that he couldn't go in her mind but surely if she could project things into his, he could do the same to hers without actually entering?

"Doctor," Jack called, jolting him out of his ruminations.

"Yes, Jack?" he said tiredly.

Jack glared at him. "I'll start again. If Rose is like me does it hurt to look at her?"

The Doctor took a deep breath, wondering how to explain it without messing up; it was Rose who should be explaining it, her story to tell.

"She's not exactly like you. You're a fixed point in time and you can't die. She can't die but she isn't a fixed point in time. She _is _Time. Every second of her existence is Time passing. You're both immortal, and both very similar, but complete opposites as to _how_ you are immortal."

Jack was quiet for a moment before asking, "Will she still age?"

The Doctor opened his mouth to answer before closing it again, stumped. For the nth time that day, panic took over.

Rose had never said whether she would age, and the Doctor had never thought about it. But now he did he was seriously worried. He remembered seeing the Face of Boe, seeing _Jack_, die, only his head left.

He felt sick at the thought of Rose like that.

"I don't know," he muttered, his mind flying through theories.

Jack nodded, realising that the Doctor was back in his own little world.

Mickey watched the two before saying, "She'll be alright though, yeah? I know she can't die but this…" He hesitated, wondering if what he was about to say would push the Doctor over the edge. At the Doctor's inquisitive glance he continued. "If this had happened to a normal human they would have died, that's what Martha said. It won't make her any weaker or anything?"

"I don't think so," the Doctor whispered. He kissed the top of her head, wishing once again that he could enter her mind.

Jack laughed shakily. "Our Rosie, so close to death. It feels wrong even though I know she's immortal. Seeing her with all that blood on her, listening to her-" He cut off, staring at her face impassively, though his eyes held a distinctly haunted look. "I don't think I've ever felt so…angry or protective or downright _scared_ in my entire life, and that's saying a hell of a lot."

"I know what you mean."

Mickey smiled sadly, rising to his feet. "I'll leave you two aloe, tell Martha to come back and check on Rose."

The Doctor frowned as Jack said, "Stay, you've known her the longest so-"

"Mickey."

Just one word. A name really. Not even his name. But just the sound of her voice, weak as it was, had the Doctor's hearts racing.

Mickey stilled, turning his head to face Rose. She was still asleep, her face creased with worry.

"Mi-ee-m's-ree."

"What did she say?" he asked, moving forward to kneel at her bedside.

"I think she said," the Doctor started slowly, "that she's sorry."

"What for?" Mickey asked incredulously.

_For leaving you. _

He jumped as though burnt.

"Whoa, why is her voice in my head? This one of the new superhuman powers?"

"She spoke to you in your mind?" the Doctor asked urgently.

Mickey nodded.

"Did it hurt?"

"No. I didn't even realise she was in their till she spoke."

"Doctor, you said she if she went in our minds it'd kill us," Jack said in a low voice, getting up to stand behind Mickey, just in case something did happen.

"That's what she said!" the Doctor cried. "Unless…she only said my mind. Maybe a human mind is safe but mine isn't. But if I can't take the whole Time Vortex, you lot definitely can't. What am I missing?"

"Is she still talking to you?" Jack asked sharply.

Mickey shook his head. "She said that and then some other stuff but her voice was getting quieter and quieter with every word."

The Doctor jerked slightly, lowering Rose's head onto the pillow as lightly as he could before pulling out his Sonic Screwdriver, scanning her frantically.

"I think she's going into a coma, her heart has slowed right down," he said quickly, his words tripping up over on another.

"Mickey, get Rory or Martha!" Jack yelled, awkwardly standing in the middle of the room, torn between staying with the Doctor and Rose, and going with Mickey.

"Maybe it's just 'cause she's resting," Jack said lamely as Mickey's footsteps faded.

The Doctor shook his head, his mind running through possible causes. "Mickey said her voice was getting weaker but it wasn't her voice; it was her _mind._"

"Could I try reaching her now?" Jack asked worriedly.

The Doctor grabbed at his hair, completely lost. "I don't know, I don't know what will happen if you do."

"What happens if she goes into a coma?"

The Doctor looked at him. Jack shuddered at the depth in his eyes, the wisdom shadowed, his love for Rose shining through, though it was soon eclipsed by fear.

"I have no idea. What happens if Time goes to bed for a while? This isn't the end of the universe, we've been there, so what is this?" he exclaimed, feeling as though he was losing his mind.

"You said…" Jack started before hesitating. At the Doctor's encouraging nod, he said," Time's in flux, it never stays the same, it can change."

The Doctor gaped at him, eyes wide.

Before he could think of what to say, he heard footsteps and turned, thoroughly relieved.

"What happened?" Martha asked immediately, pushing the Doctor out of the way as Rory stood opposite her, checking Rose's eyes.

"Her heartbeat went slow and her mind was quiet," the Doctor said blankly. Martha stared at him for a moment, as though trying to decide whether he was joking or not, before turning back to Rose. After a few more minutes of checks and sharing a loaded glance with Rory, Martha said heavily, "There's nothing we can do, Doctor. Her body's shutting itself down. You were right, it's a coma."

"Why would she put herself into a coma when she's getting better?" Mickey asked, joining them.  
>Rory and Martha shook their heads, identical expressions of hopelessness.<p>

"It could be that she's doing it to heal herself."

"Then stop her," Jack said tightly.

"It's too late. She's gone."

"No," the Doctor said fiercely, "Not again. Not after I found her."

He pushed past Martha, placing his hands over Rose's temples.

"Doctor, you can't!" Jack shouted, moving to stop him.

He was too slow.

He was also wrong.

The Doctor had no intention of entering Rose's mind. He was simply repaying the favour, sharing a memory she didn't know about with her.

"_But if I kill you, I kill her. But that implies, in this big grand scheme of gods and devils, that she's just a victim. Well, I've seen a lot of this universe. I've seen fake gods and bad gods and demi-gods and would-be gods. I've had the whole pantheon. But if I believe in one thing...just one thing...I believe in her!"_

_Rose, you are not a victim, you never were. You were tricked and captured and even when they had you at their mercy you were never a victim because you fought, you fought them every step of the way. I believe in you. I have always believed in you and I always will but you have to fight! You keep me fighting and now I'm fighting for you, I would take on the entire universe just to watch you open your eyes and smile at me one more time. Keep fighting, Rose. You're you are fantastic and I believe in you so much it hurts. I don't even know if you can hear me but if you can, come back to me. Wake up and come back. If I have to kill myself to bring you back to life I will. For Martha and Mickey and Jack and everyone else who worked today to save your life, come back. For me and your daughter, come back! Rose! _

He gasped, his eyes shooting open. In front of him Rose smiled tiredly.

"You brought me back," she said hoarsely. "Your voice woke me up."

"I was going to lose you again. I couldn't let that happen," he said with a small laugh.

She nodded tearfully. Raising her good hand, she caressed the side of his face, giggling when he leant into her hand and kissed her palm.

"I love you," she said quietly, oblivious to their audience.

He glanced behind him to where Martha and Jack were stood watching fearfully, and to Mickey and Rory on the other side of the room.

"I love you too."

The four smiled as Rose sighed happily, running the backs of her fingers against his cheek.

"We'll be in the flat," Martha said softly, waving goodbye and taking Mickey's hand.

"Thank you," Rose said suddenly. "All of you. I know I wasn't exactly grateful before but from the bottom of my heart thank you."

"You're welcome," Rory said quietly, squeezing her hand as gently as he could. She smiled warmly.

They went to leave, Jack and Rory already out of the door as Rose called, "Mickey? I really am sorry."

Mickey stopped, his head bowed. "I forgave you years ago, Rose. You'll always be my best friend, no matter what you did. Besides," he said, turning round to face her with a grin. "If you hadn't done all that, I wouldn't have ever met Martha."

Martha rolled her eyes, smiling nonetheless, and pulled him out of the room, giving the two some privacy.

"Why did you ask me twice?" Rose asked quietly.

"What?" the Doctor asked, wondering what had made her think about that.

"Why me? Why twice?"

He looked at her, his expression inscrutable.

"Don't you know?" he asked carefully.

She shook her head, wincing as it pounded.

"Neither do I," he said breezily. "It felt right. From the moment I told you to run I wanted you with me. I would have asked as many times as it took for you to say yes."

She wiped away a stray tear from his cheek.

"_But_."

She smiled; she'd been expecting a 'but'.

"But?"

"I did find this, the exact same day I met you."

He pulled a small note, crumpled and stained, out of his trouser pocket, unfolded it and read:

"'Rose is your lucky flower.'"

Rose snorted. "It sounds like something from a Fortune Cookie."

The Doctor ignored her. "It's only now that I know who put it there," he said in a hushed voice, tears in his eyes.

Rose's own eyes widened. "I don't remember doing that."

"I found it in the TARDIS, just on the console. I put it in my pocket and through everything, even my regenerations, I carried it with me, kept it close. And I think somewhere in your mind you did know and that's why you asked. You and me, hey?"

"You and me," she repeated.

The Doctor looked at her warily, his expression torn.

"What?" she asked, looking down at herself, wondering if her body was so revolting he wanted to run; that's what his face was telling her.

"Rose, how do you feel about…marriage?"

"Why, are you asking?" she asked, her face deadpan.

_No wonder he wants to leg it,_ Rose thought, laughing internally as her heart began to race.

"If I was…how would you feel about it? What would you think?"  
>She pursed her lips. "I wouldn't have to think. I'd go with my feelings."<p>

"And what are your feelings?"

"I feel that I love you, I have a daughter with you and I would very much like to marry you so as to end my living in sin."

The Doctor smiled. "Rose Tyler, will you marry me?"

"Oh yes, Doctor. I will."

He leant forward, kissing her softly. She groaned, pulling him closer by his neck.

"Give me a real kiss," she teased, looking up at him from under her lashes.

"No. You're sick, I can't do that," he murmured.

"Oh yes you can. We're engaged now."

"Fiancées," he corrected. "Oh I do like that word."

"We'll have to start calling you the Domestic Doctor."

He snorted, pulling away from her despite her protests.

"Are you really ok?" he asked quietly.

She nodded, keeping her eyes on his. "I just wish I was quick enough."

"Me too."

"We need to start looking for her," Rose said resolutely.

"I know but for now you need to rest. We'll find her. I know we will."

Rose nodded distractedly.

Wanting to take her mind off it, he said softly, "Do you want to see your ring?"

Rose's eyes lit up. "You got me a ring?"

He nodded, reaching into his jacket pocket and pulling out a red velvet box.

"I got it made a while ago. We went to this place, just before we went through to your universe actually, and I saw this star, tiny little thing, looked just like a crystal, but it never stopped shining. They do this thing were they-bit boring, I'll take you one day so you can see. But it reminded me of you and even though I knew I was never going to see you again, I thought that if I was the one with you in Pete's World, I'd get you an engagement ring just like that. So I asked the jeweller, how much it was to get it made into a ring and he said I could have it for free as long as I gave it to someone who would treasure it always. And well…I thought of you. Anyway, long story short, he made it for me, it's in the box and it's yours. Surprise."

She reached for the box with a trembling hand, frowning when he moved it away.

"We're already doing this backwards, but let's keep a bit of tradition."

She laughed as the Doctor got down on one knee, resting the box on the edge of her bed.

"I love you," he said quietly before opening the box.

She gasped, her eyes widening as she took in the ring before her.

He was right; it did shine like a star, bright enough to notice but not so much as to dazzle, the size and shape of a small diamond, with a brilliant, silver centre, the band slim and made of white gold. It was beautiful, a ring fit for a queen and here he was giving it to her, Rose Tyler.

"It's…it's so…" she stuttered, lost for words.

"Would you like to try it on?"

She nodded dazedly.

With a smile, he lifted her left hand gently so as not to jolt her recently set wrist, and slipped the ring onto her third finger before brushing her knuckles with his lips.

She stroked his hair, happier than she had been in a while but still a dark cloud hovered at the back of her mind.

The Doctor looked at her face and said, "Names."

"What?"

"Tell me names you like for our little girl. I know you have some."

She beamed as he said _our little girl. _

"I have one. One perfect name."

"Tell me," he said softly.

"Grace. I like Grace."

"Grace," he repeated, trying it out. "Grace Tyler."

"Wouldn't she take your name?" she asked with a frown.

The Doctor shook his head sadly. "No one can know my name."

Rose bit her lip, suddenly hit with a wave of emotion.

"Right, yeah. Grace Tyler. So if you want you can choose a middle name."

"Rose," the Doctor said quietly.

"Or if your people didn't have middle names, we can just name her after Mum; I know she would've liked that."

"Rose."

"I mean, middle names aren't really that important. Just us stupid apes I guess," she said mock-cheerily.

"Rose, I didn't mean to upset you," the Doctor said in a low voice.

"You didn't. It was stupid of me to think that she'd have your name. Even I don't know your real name. Maybe the baby will though, I mean River does, maybe it's just a Time Lord thing."

"Rose, stop."

"But I _know _why River knows your name, and it's not because she's half-Time Lord, it's because you told her. But then again I guess-"

"Rose!" he yelled, feeling slightly guilty when he saw her jump in fright. She blinked a few times, her eyes filled with remorse.

"Don't, don't say anything," she said shakily. "I'm sorry. It's me. Again."

"Oh, Rose," he whispered, sitting on the bed and hugging her gently, his arms just brushing her body.

"I'm fine. Fine. This is a happy moment."

The Doctor nodded.

"Um…can I please get out of here?" she asked slowly.

"I wondered when you'd bring that up."  
>She shuddered, remembering her time on Dark Sword and that too white room.<p>

"It's just…so-when it's quiet and I…see it. I can't-"  
>She closed her eyes, wishing she could erase her own memories.<p>

"Focus on me," the Doctor said quietly. "I'll take you to your room and you can sleep there."

Rose nodded. The Doctor cocked his head in thought.

"Or…you could go in my room."

Her eyes shot open in surprise. "Your room?"

"Yep."

"Where you sleep?"

"Well in theory, yes."

"Why?"

"Well…soon it will be your room too so-"

"Let's go," she said firmly.

"Ok, I'm going to try to carry you and-"

"Try to?" she exclaimed. "I'm not that fat!"

"You're still carrying baby weight!"

"Rude!"

After much arguing, Rose found herself in the Doctor's arms, praying that he wouldn't drop her.

Pushing the door open with his shoulder, he carried her over to his bed, putting her down as lightly as he could.

Rose didn't miss the smug grin on his face.

Then she saw his room.

"Oh my God," she whispered.

It was like the console room, though much bigger and far more cluttered. Books, DVDs, tapes, CDs, paper, maps, even scientific-looking stuff all balanced precariously on top of each other on top of shelves and bookcases that were crammed full of basically the same things.

"Look up," he told her.

She did so, her mouth dropping open.

"It's the night sky from Earth," he explained. "I don't sleep very often and end up just staring at the ceiling so the TARDIS gave me something interesting to look at. I think she was fed up of me tinkering about."

"It's lovely," Rose breathed.

He sat beside her, leaning back against the headboard as she snuggled into his chest, her breath hitching as she knocked one of her wounds.

"Sorry," he murmured.

"S'ok, was my fault."

Before he could stop himself he blurted out, "Can you age?"  
>She looked at him quizzically. "No, why?"<p>

"Just wondered."

"Riiight," she said, one eyebrow raised.

"Do you heal faster than normal people?"

"What is this, twenty questions? Yeah I do, but not that fast. The pain should stop soon, maybe the day after tomorrow, something like that."

The Doctor nodded before murmuring, "Now, you're here and you're sick so sleep."

She was silent for a moment.

"Will you stay with me?" she whispered. "Don't let me wake up alone, please."  
>He kissed her forehead, turning slightly so that he was facing her, looking down into her eyes, her head on his shoulder.<p>

"I'll stay here. Right here," he promised, tightening his arms around her, though not enough to hurt her various injuries.

"Goodnight, Doctor."

"Goodnight, Rose, oh fiancée of mine."

She laughed though it quickly turned into a yawn.

It was silent for a while, the only sounds being their breaths. Not wanting to break the spell that seemed to have fallen over the room but desperately wanting to tell her his idea, the Doctor spoke as quietly as he could.

"What about Sarah-Jane?"

"Mmm?"

"For a middle name. I like Sarah-Jane."

"I like it too," she murmured. "Grace Sarah-Jane Tyler."

"Not going to put Jackie in there too?" he asked with a smirk.

Rose laughed sleepily. "She's got three names already, let's not add another one."

"Could put Rose in as well," he said softly.

"Why don't we put Marion in there too, then she'll have my whole family in her name."

"Grace Sarah-Jane Rose Jackie Marion Tyler," the Doctor said quickly. He grimaced. "Maybe not."

"I like Grace Sarah-Jane. It's a good name. And I know Sarah-Jane would love that you thought of it. It's nice to honour her in that way. She deserves it. And now there'll always be a Sarah-Jane in the TARDIS."

The Doctor smiled, his eyes misting over slightly. "'Hello, let me introduce you to my family, Rose and Grace Tyler.' Oh that sounds fantastic."

Rose rolled her eyes.

"Sorry," he said again. "You sleep now."

"It's alright," she mumbled, her eyes drifting shut. The Doctor chuckled under his breath, getting comfortable for what he presumed would be a long night.

Two minutes later they were both sound asleep.


	17. A Lost Rose

Still don't own Doctor Who. Maybe one day.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Seventeen<strong>

**A Lost Rose**

Rose woke up slowly, yawning sleepily and rubbing the sleep from her eyes, noticing happily that her wrist no longer ached when she moved it. She stretched, noticing not so happily that the rest of her still throbbed and burned when she moved.

So she was right; it would be the day after tomorrow, now today. She frowned slightly, the thought that she could heal so quickly making her feel rather nervous; the pain would fade by tomorrow, the cuts and bruises taking perhaps only a few more days. She wondered idly whether any of it would scar.

Attempting to sit up, she realised that the Doctor was snuggled against her side, his arm thrown over her waist, his head on her shoulder.

Smiling softly, she pushed his hair away from his face, surprised at how peaceful he looked when he slept.  
>Not wanting to wake him she lifted his arm gently, rolling him onto his back. Just as she was about to climb out of bed she remembered what he'd promised her.<p>

Would it be fair to him, after he'd promised to stay until she woke up, for her to let him wake up alone?

Her guilt won out as she carefully turned on her side, drinking in his face.

Any anger or disappointment she'd felt towards the Doctor had disappeared, though the gnawing pain from the loss of her daughter had only grown stronger, feeding off her fear, anguish and worry.

She felt her good mood fade rapidly, her head filling with doubts as she thought about the impossible task of finding Grace.

_Not impossible, _she told herself firmly. _Nothing's impossible for me and the Doctor. _

It didn't exactly fill her with hope.

"Rose?"

She jumped, coming out of her reverie to see the Doctor staring at her with a frown, his hair tousled, reminding her forcefully of his past incarnation.

"Hi," she whispered, reaching forward with her hand and pushing his fringe away from his eyes.

"You looked like you were lost in thought. Everything ok?" he asked, his voice still thick with sleep.

_What if I can't find her? She'll grow up hating the Doctor and one day they'll meet and I'll have to choose a side. They might end up killing each other and then I'll be left alone, enduring my own immortal existence-God, how selfish did that sound? What if she wins? What do I do if my daughter kills her own father? What if it's the other way around? How will I ever look at him the same again? We're going to fail. I'll never find her and everything will go wrong. Someone in my family will become a murderer. _

The Doctor snapped his fingers, her eyes once again becoming focused, though they had a new haunted look in them that he hadn't seen since that moment she'd looked up at him in that damn hangar. His chest constricted with fear.

"Rose, are you alright?" he asked worriedly, taking in how her hand had begun to tremble against his temple, the other gripping the duvet.

"What? Yeah I'm fine. Perfectly fine. You ready for breakfast? I'm starving," she said, her voice sounding oddly robotic.

"What were you thinking about? No, no," he said quickly, holding her arm to prevent her from getting up. "Tell me what's wrong."

"Nothing's wrong. I still feel a bit sore. That's all," she said flatly.

"Alright," he said warily, taking her hand. "Do you want me to carry you again or can you walk?"

"I'll walk, thank you," she said in a low voice, tugging her hand out of the Doctor's hold.

She sat up slowly, gritting her teeth as her cuts stung. Placing her feet gently on the floor, she stood, hissing as it felt like she was standing in an open flame, though it was considerably less painful that the night before. She shuffled forward, the Doctor following her out, staying just a few steps behind her in case she fell and pulling his jacket on.

They walked in silence, the Doctor's unease growing with every second that passed. Just as they were about to enter the kitchen, they saw Martha coming down the corridor, checking in each room she passed.

"Morning," the Doctor called cheerfully, wondering if seeing someone else would brighten Rose's mood.

"Hi," Martha said with a smile, however it quickly turned to a frown. "Rose, I don't think you should be walking around yet," Martha said with a frown, coming over to meet them.

"I'm fine," Rose said quietly, looking away from the Doctor and Martha.

"Well…don't overexert yourself then," Martha said slowly, not sure what else to say to Rose. Instead she turned to the Doctor. "I actually came here to invite you to breakfast. Everyone else is already in the kitchen."

"Are Melody and River together?" he asked immediately.

"Yes. And before you kick off, they're on opposite sides of the room and River said something about shielding herself from…herself and that she won't touch…herself and create…stuff."

"I don't _kick off,_" the Doctor said grumpily before asking Rose, "Do you want to?"

Rose shrugged, beginning her struggle out of the TARDIS.

Martha glanced at the Doctor who sighed, running his hands over face.

"Are you coming?" Rose asked sharply, gripping onto the TARDIS' walls as she hobbled away from them.

"We're right behind you," Martha said softly.

Again silence fell as they made their way through the TARDIS, the Doctor ignoring Martha's questioning gaze.

Rose opened the TARDIS door and stepped out into the flat. The living room was empty, the noise coming from inside the tiny kitchen.

"You have a lovely home," Rose said automatically, hating how dead her voice sounded.

"Thank you," Martha said politely, pretending she hadn't noticed how Rose's voice was monotone, her face blank. "The kitchen's just through there. Prepare yourself for complete and utter chaos."

The Doctor laughed, wishing Rose would join in. She didn't.

Martha took the lead, opening the door and gesturing for them to go in first.

Rose took a deep breath, walking into the kitchen as though it was the lion's den.

She was right to be nervous, and Martha was right to have warned them.

It was madness, the noise hitting Rose like a punch.

Jack and Gwen were arguing in a corner about toast, a baby crying on her hip as smoke started to rise from the toaster; Rhys and Mickey were having a conversation about which gun was best to take down a moving vehicle while frying bacon and eggs, jumping as fat spat out of the pan; Rory and River were laughing in another corner, supervising the tea-making which was being done by Melody and Amy-_on the opposite side of the room, very good,_ the Doctor thought happily-milk and sugar spread over the counter, a pile of teabags beside them; another baby sat in a highchair screaming for juice.

Rose stumbled backwards, terrified by the amount of people and sound after the silent emptiness of Dark Sword. She felt the Doctor stand right behind her, her back against his chest as he placed his hands on her hips, gently moving her forward.

"I'm right here, I'm not going anywhere," he murmured into her ear.

Everywhere she looked seemed to hurt her more, from Melody to the two babies being cuddled by their mothers.

Jack met her gaze and smiled warmly, beckoning her over. With an ever growing knot of anxiety in her stomach, she went over to stand beside him, flinching slightly when he hugged her, his arms barely touching her.

"You feel any better? You had us all worried for a while," he chuckled, his arm resting lightly on her shoulders.

"Hello, Rose," Gwen said kindly, wondering whether seeing her with Anwen would upset Rose anymore.

"Gwen," Rose said curtly. She hesitated before asking softly, "What's your daughter's name?"

"Anwen."

Rose smiled, her vision blurring.

"She's beautiful."

"Thank you."

The Doctor rubbed at his neck, the same things getting to him as well, though he was constantly pushing it away, forcing himself to focus on Rose.

"How are you feeling?" Gwen asked, nudging Jack, who extricated his arm and moved to stand beside the Doctor.

"I'm ok," Rose nearly whispered, pressing herself against a wall as though wishing she could disappear into it.

The Doctor closed his eyes in defeat. Just hours ago she had been perfectly fine, joking and happy at their engagement. Now…now she was a shadow of herself.

"Here, Rose, some tea for you," Amy said softly. Without another word, she hugged Rose as gently as she could, whispering, "I know how it feels. I'm so sorry but it'll be alright."

Rose said nothing.

"We're engaged!" the Doctor shouted gleefully, unable to bear Rose's mask any longer, throwing his arms in the air.

Rose stared at him, her eyes vacant.

_Well that failed, _he thought miserably.

"What?"

"Really?"

"About bloody time."

"Congratulations!"

"We need to celebrate-"

"Doctor," Jack said quietly into the Doctor's ear, his gaze on Rose. "I need to talk to you."

He nodded, casting one last glance at a stoic Rose before following Jack into the hallway.

Meanwhile Rose was watching in growing anger as those around her laughed and planned for her engagement.

When the Doctor had asked her, she had assumed that they would marry after they'd found Grace. Everyone here seemed to have forgotten about her missing daughter.

"I don't want to celebrate," she hissed.

"What?" Martha asked. "It's a big thing, you should. Take your mind off-"

"The fact that my daughter was stolen? Or that I'm not looking for her?"

"Rose, you need time to rest," Martha said calmly, glancing out the door to see if the Doctor had stayed nearby to talk.

The cup in Rose's hand fell to the floor, smashing as it hit the cold tiles, showering her feet with shards of broken china and hot tea.

She hardly even noticed.

"I don't need anymore rest, I need my daughter!" she shrieked.

"Jesus, Rose, be careful!" Mickey yelled, pulling her away. She held onto him, burying her face in his shirt as she began to sob. Acting on pure instinct, he wrapped his arm around her, holding her tight.

"It's gonna be ok, Rose."

"No it's not!" she screamed, pushing him away just as suddenly as she had hugged him. He realised with horror that he'd probably hurt her even more.

"Rose, stop now. You need to calm down," River said soothingly, holding her hands up as she walked towards Rose slowly.

"Stop acting like I'm some sort of wild animal," Rose snapped, making her way back to the TARDIS.

"We're not; we're making sure you don't hurt yourself again."

Rose laughed breathlessly, ignoring the pain…everywhere.

A second later she found her path barred by a furious Jack.

"Stay. Here."

Rose bit her lip, looking away from him.

"Get out of my way."

"Why?"

She swallowed back a roar of frustration.

"Because I want to go onto the TARDIS."

"So you can go barrelling into some dangerous situation and get yourself killed?" Jack snarled.

"Newsflash! I can't die, Captain Harkness. So if you'll excuse me-"

"I'll tell the Doctor," he said quietly.

Rose gasped dramatically. "Oh no, not the Doctor! How scary. Now get the hell out of my way."

"What is wrong with you?" he bellowed, grabbing her shoulders to keep her still.

"I want my daughter," she cried, tears suddenly rolling down her cheeks. "Is that such a bad thing? That I want to find her as soon as I can?"

"Oh no, Rosie, of course not," Jack murmured, pulling her into his arms, his rage disappearing the minute he saw her tears.

For the first time that day, she felt safe.

"Help me find her," she sobbed, clutching at his coat.

"You'll have the Doctor to help you."

"No. I need you too, Jack. Please, you're my best friend and I miss you and I love you and I'm sorry, I'll always be sorry."

"There is no need to be sorry. And remember, you're just like me now! I love you, Rosie," Jack said, his voice thick with unshed tears.

She nodded, wiping at her eyes as she pulled away. He felt his heart break at the lost look in her eyes.

"Help me, Jack."

In the Doctor's room, Rose was alone, her back pressed against the headboard as she sat on his bed, staring at nothing in particular.

She was numb.

Amy had told her she knew how she felt.

She didn't. She was allowed to give her child a name. She was allowed to hold her. She had her child right here with her. She had _two_ versions of her child with her.

Rose had none of that.

Following her outburst in Martha's, Rose had hidden in the Doctor's room, leaving Jack alone in the console room. There was still no sign of the Doctor. Feeling even worse that she thought she ever could, she realised he was probably avoiding her after seeing her breakdown.

There was a quiet knock on the door. Rose said nothing.

After a moment's hesitation from the knocker, the door opened slightly, revealing an awkward-looking River.

Rose looked at her blankly.

"I came to see how you were. The Doctor said to leave you alone but…I had a feeling you might want to talk to me."

"You know my daughter," she said flatly.

River nodded.

"She doesn't have a name. I have a name for her but she doesn't know it," Rose whispered, despair grabbing at her.

"She knows it," River said confidently. Rose looked at her properly, as though she was actually seeing her instead of looking through her.

"It's a beautiful name," River said quietly.

"I know. I always wanted to name her that. I always wanted a little girl. I wish I'd known, wish they'd told me…"

"What did they do to you?" River asked in a hushed voice.

"I was kept drugged. I couldn't think. I knew I was somewhere and I knew I was stillpregnant but I couldn't do anything. Even as the Bad Wolf I was powerless. They woke me up when I was giving birth and then they just took her. I only heard her for a moment and then they tried to drug me again. I fought my way out through leather and glass and blood. But I was too late. I was alone."

"I dreamt about you," River said suddenly. Rose cocked her head, interested for the first time.

"What did you see?"

"You were asleep in this big, white room. I'm guessing it's where Jack found when he checked the place. You were alone and I didn't want to leave you. I was scared something would happen to you if I wasn't there."

Rose frowned in thought. "Maybe I was reaching out subconsciously for help. I've heard of it happening."

"You have?" River asked in surprise.

Rose smiled sadly. "I have all of Time in my head. You learn a few things."

River bowed her head, embarrassed.

"I always forget you're not human anymore."

"You've known all along."

"What?" River laughed. "No I haven't."

"You have. You just don't remember. I made you forget. I had to. You knew me so well…"

River stared at her in amazement and fury. "You took my memories?"

"I had to," Rose repeated calmly. "Your past is my future; you couldn't tell me something that would mess the timelines up."

"But I don't…I don't understand."

"Tell me about my daughter," Rose said abruptly. River shook her head at the sudden topic change.

"Your daughter and I…we were raised together. I can't say where or by whom because…"

"Spoilers."

"She grew up happy, Rose. I can promise you that."

A tear leaked from Rose's eye. "But I don't know whether I find her and raise her or whether I don't find her and she's raised by someone else hating the Doctor. It'll kill him."

"She was happy. We both were," said River, her eyes faraway.

"You love her," Rose said, thoroughly surprised.

"She was my best friend," River said tearfully. "My sister."

"Was?" Rose asked, fear creeping into her voice.

"Spoilers," River replied sadly.

"Yeah. Spoilers."

"If you were raised together does that mean I find her?" Rose asked hopefully.

River gazed at her, sorrow in her eyes.

"My childhood wasn't exactly plain sailing. Madame Kovarian is clever, Rose. Never forget that."

Rose frowned, wondering whether or not that was a hint. Before she could ask anything else, River spoke again.

"I can tell you one thing, Rose Tyler. To make sure that it happens the way it should, of course."

Rose nodded eagerly.

"The Doctor can't find her alone. He needs someone to…follow her scent," River said carefully.

Rose's eyes widened as her meaning sank in.

"Thank you."

River smiled shakily before turning to leave. Rose realised she hadn't moved from the doorway the whole time they'd been talking. Just before she went into the corridor Rose called her.

"Melody?"

River span around in shock; it was still strange to be called that after so long.

"Yes?" she whispered.

"I will give you back your memories. I promise."

She nodded jerkily and left as fast as she could, slamming the door behind her.

She wasn't Melody Pond, Superhero anymore. She was River Song, Good-Man-Killer.

And she could never forget that.

Still sat on the bed, Rose said softly, "You'll remember everything soon enough, Melody Pond. I just hope to God you'll forgive me."

River ran into the console room, her face wet with tears as the Doctor walked over to her, trembling with apprehension.

"She's just sad, Doctor," River said softly before he could speak.

"I know. I know and I can't do anything. I feel even more hopeless now than I did when I was trying to find her," the Doctor said despairingly.

"You can be there for her. That's what she really needs. Just you."

"Then why is she asking Jack to come?"

River laughed. "Still jealous of him? He's her friend, Doctor. She needs him there as well as you, just in a different way."

"Are you coming?" the Doctor asked her, keeping his eyes on her face.

"If she wants me there."

"I want you there," he said quietly.

River shifted, both thrilled and furious that he was acting like this.

"Why are you crying?" he asked with a frown.

"Oh…it's nothing. Just something Rose said."

"Do you know where she is?" he asked suddenly, hope and desperation clear in his voice, already moving on from his moment of vulnerability.

"I can't tell you," she said sadly. "You know that."

"Wait! Where's the Doctor?"

"Rory?" the Doctor asked confusedly. "I'm here."

Rory ran onto the TARDIS, a sword at his hip and a gun in his hand.

"I'm coming," he said firmly, his gaze on the Doctor.

"No!" River cried, darting forward and grabbing her father's hand. "You can't. She'll hurt you or kill you and I-I-"

"Need more people," Rory said quietly, staring into his daughter's eyes. "You can't go wherever you're going with only four people.

"Four people who can't die," Jack pointed out.

Rory hesitated before saying, "I know how Rose feels, I know what it's like and I want to help. She's my friend, River."

River closed her eyes, hating how he'd reverted to calling her by that name.

"You'll die," she whispered.

"I actually am a good fighter," Rory said with a laugh.

"It's too dangerous," the Doctor murmured.

"I don't care," Rory snapped, throwing his gun onto the console. "I want to help Rose, Doctor. Surely that's something we have in common."

"Don't you dare act like I don't care about her," the Doctor snarled. "You're not coming, that's it. Now get out."

River stood between the two men in her life, torn between her father and her love. Hating herself, she stepped backwards, siding with the Doctor.

"It's too dangerous," she said, echoing the Doctor. "I can't risk you getting hurt or…or dying."

Rory shook his head angrily. "Fine. But you know what, River? I may not be half-Time Lord or a genius or even a God of Time but I am your father. If that's not good enough for you, if you don't want me to fight beside you then I'm gone."

Glancing quickly at the gun on the console, he smiled briefly before making his way out of the TARDIS, deliberately not looking back at River.

"Dad!" she cried suddenly, tears falling down her flushed cheeks. Rory stopped but still didn't turn. "I love you, no matter what."

Rory nodded once, his shoulders tensing, before leaving the TARDIS.

"No, Amy, she doesn't want us there," she heard him murmur to her mother.

"Tough!"

"Amy, we need to stay with Melody. She's what's important now, keeping her safe."

"Rory," she said shakily.

Jack ran to the doors, his footsteps blocking out the sound of River's parents' conversation.

"Mickey, we're going now!" Jack called, beckoning him over.

"What?" Mickey asked. "You can't just leave."

"I can. We'll come back, I promise," Rose said quickly, her eyes blazing as she entered the console room, her head held high.

_That's my girl,_ both Jack and Mickey thought fondly.

"You won't let me come with you, will you?" he asked with a smirk.

"Nope," she said cheerfully, rocking back on her heels.

"Soon as you get her you come straight back here then, alright?" Mickey said with a smile.

Rose saluted. "Yes, sir."

"Take care, Rose."

"I'm sorry I went a bit…mental."

"Nah, it's fine. We all have our bad days."

She rolled her eyes, smiling as he left the TARDIS, the door swinging shut behind him.

Her smile dropped the minute he was gone. Jack saw, moving closer and nudging her side gently. Before she could hit him, she noticed River.

"Melody, are you ok?" she asked, concerned.

"Don't call me that," River snapped, turning her back on Rose.

"It's her time of the month," Jack stage-whispered, cupping his mouth with his hand.

Rose laughed, her eyes flashing gold.

"Whoa, what did you do?" he asked with wide eyes, backing away ever so slightly.

"I followed her scent," Rose said, her voice sounding eerily like an echo. "And she led me to…_no._"

"Rose, where is she?" the Doctor asked urgently.

Rose looked up, reaching for him blindly. He ran forwards, taking both her hands in his.

"Rose, tell me."

Her eyes still glowed gold, her mouth half-open.

"You don't deserve to know."

"The hell he doesn't," Jack said sharply. "He's her father, Rose."

"No. He is both cruel and kind. He is everything that I need and everything that would destroy me. He is changed," Rose said musically, the golden light spreading to envelope her.

"Rose, stop," the Doctor whispered.

"I don't want to fight anymore," she said tearfully, her grip on his hands tightening.

"But we're not fighting," he said softly.

"Not you. I don't want to fight to survive anymore. I am tired of fighting."

The Doctor closed his eyes, tears leaking from beneath his lids as tendrils of golden light snaked around his wrists, binding him to Rose.

"I know, Rose, me too. We have one last fight to find our daughter and then that's it."

"There will always be fights."

"Not like this. There'll be running, lots of running, and danger and aliens and planets and stars and moons that are probably locked in one war or another but we will never have to fight like this again. I promise you."

River and Jack stood huddled together, unsure of whether to intervene.

"Doctor…" Rose whispered. He opened his eyes, staring deep into hers, looking past the blinding gold of the Bad Wolf and finding Rose there; for it was her he said these words to.

"Rose, I love you and we'll find Grace and we'll get married and we will stay together always."

"Forever," Rose said softly.

"Forever," the Doctor confirmed.

"I'm so glad I met you," Rose said softly, her eyes fading to their usual brown. The Doctor smiled, bringing her hands to his lips and kissing them.

"Me too," he murmured.

"She's in Canary Wharf," Rose gasped, the last traces of the Bad Wolf retreating to the back of her mind. "The top of the old Torchwood Tower."

"What?" the Doctor whispered.

"Doctor, she's where I died."


	18. Not Exactly What I Had In Mind

Once again, I don't own Doctor Who.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Eighteen<strong>

**Not Exactly What I Had In Mind**

_My plan needs sorting,_ the Doctor thought idly as he watched Rose set the destination. He turned away, absentmindedly playing with his bow tie.

_New revised plan: _

_-Find ba-Grace, find Grace _

_-Crush Kovarian and her cronies_

_-Use 'cronies' more often; mean it this time_

_-Marry Rose Tyler_

_-Return to Martha's with Grace and Rose and the other two_

He ran a hand over his face, glancing briefly at Rose.

"I'm not going to disappear," she said, clearly amused though her eyes were fixed on the screen in front of her.

"When are we going to?"

"Today. She knows we're in this time. She knows too much. How can she travel in time?" Rose asked River.

River shrugged with an apologetic smile.

"Doctor, what's the plan?" Jack asked loudly, clapping his hands together.

He gave them an edited version of his personal plan.

"Crush Kovarian and her cronies, get Grace," he said simply.

"Oh right, because it will be that easy," River said.

"Maybe, maybe not. That's as far as I've got."

"We need to know if she's alone," Rose said quietly.

"Grace?"

"Kovarian," Rose said bitterly.

"If she's alone we take her out," Jack said resolutely. "If not, we just take over the Tower."

"Oh with all four of us, how simple that shall be," River said sardonically.

"I don't care if there are thousands of them; I'm taking her down. She'll fall so far even she won't be able to drag her way out of the hole that is her life," Rose said icily.

Jack nodded vigorously. "I like that plan, let's do that."

"No, no, no," the Doctor said worriedly.

"River, you still got your guns?" Jack interrupted.

She nodded, pulling two out from God knows where as Jack took the safety of his handgun.

The Doctor moved over to Rose, resting his chin on her shoulder, wrapping his arms around her waist.

"Before we go in there…I want you to know something."

"Oh?" she said curiously.

He bent his head so that his mouth was by her ear, brushing her hair away and whispered something, something so beautiful in the most glorious musical language.

The hairs on the back of Rose's neck stood up, her heart pounding.

"There are two reasons a Time Lord tells his name," the Doctor said huskily. "When he's dying…and when he's in love. I'm telling you because I want you to have every part of me there is. My name is yours now. I am yours."

She turned in his arms, staring up at him in wonder.

"What made you change your mind?"

He shrugged. "I've wanted to tell you for a while but I was too scared. But now…I'm not so scared anymore."

"Thank you," Rose whispered, kissing him lightly.

"Doctor, we're here," River said warily.

Rose stiffened, fear coursing through her.

"We'll find her," he whispered, brushing his nose against hers, their foreheads barely touching. "We're so close."

Rose nodded, taking his hand and pulling him over to the doors. Jack and River joined them, both looking solemn.

"I know I shouldn't be worried 'cause half of us can't die and they don't want us dead anyway but I am terrified," Jack said with a shaky laugh.

"Yeah," Rose said quietly. "I know how you feel."

"Ready?"

Without waiting for an answer, Jack threw the door open, shooting before he could even see.

"We're on the tenth floor," River said in the Doctor's ear before running out to join Jack and shouting, "Head for the lift, we'll meet you there!"

The Doctor ran, Rose following behind him, slamming the door shut.

"There's too many," he said fearfully. "We'll never get to the lift."

"Come on!" she shouted, pulling him out into a corridor.

"Where are we going?"

"I have no idea but if we stay there we'll be shot to pieces," she said quickly.

"Are you hurting?" he cried, noticing the pained look on her face.

"Oh yes. But I can't focus on that now. Get to that later."

"Rose, marry me," the Doctor gasped suddenly, clinging to her hand as though it was his lifeline.

"You already asked me that, you idiot!"

"No I mean, you know, actually marry me."

"Now?" she cried.

"Yes _now_."

"You know, when you asked me to marry you, this wasn't what I had in mind for the ceremony," she snarled, kicking another set of doors open, hissing in pain.

"Me neither but we don't know what's going to happen."

"Who's going to do it?" she asked bemusedly.

"I will!" Jack called, pushing the doors behind them open with his gun, River covering his back.

"You're not a priest!" the Doctor shouted, shielding Rose behind him as the soldiers spilled through into the hallway.

"I was once but they kicked me out!" Jack called, blasting his way through a group of soldiers.

"Do I want to know why?"

"Nope!"

A shot flew past Rose's arm.

"Jack, do it!" she yelled.

"Oookaaaay! Dearly beloved-wait, you need two witnesses!"

"I'm here!" River shouted as she punched a man in the face, breaking his nose and knocking him unconscious with her gun. "And so are you!"

"The priest can't be a witness!" Jack cried, his face aghast.

"Oh for the love of-"

"LIFT!" Rose screamed, pointing to the end of a hallway to their left.

"We'll use one these guys," Jack muttered, shooting one of the soldiers in the leg, injuring him just enough to slow him down but not so much that it was life-threatening. "Hello, do you mind being a witness? Thought not."

"JACK!" the Doctor bellowed, Sonicing at the lift panel.

"Right, where was I?"

"Do an abridged version or something," Rose laughed, the bizarreness of the moment getting to her. "Why am I getting married like this?" she asked herself out loud. "I can't die!"

"Well I can," the Doctor said over his shoulder. "And I have waited far too long to make you my wife. Jack, go!"

"We're gathered here today-blah, blah, blah-Doctor…er, Doctor! Do you take Rose Tyler to be your lawful wedded wife?"

"Yes!" he shouted, grabbing Rose's hand and pulling her away from the lift and behind a stack of boxes.

She hit his arm.

"I mean, I do!"

"Rose Mary-"

"Marion, you idiot!" Rose said breathlessly. Jack glared at her.

"You try doing wedding vows while being under fire and attacking a tower! Rose Marion Tyler, do you take the Doctor to be your lawful wedded husband?"

"I do!" she called, her eyes locking with the Doctor's.

"Doctor, give her a ring!"

"She already has one!"

"Then make her give you one!"

Moving as quickly as she could, she pulled a small gold ring from her back pocket.

"The TARDIS gave me this!" she said loudly over the sound of gunfire. "She said it was right for you."

"Why?"

"It's from Gallifrey. A special kind of gold, she said. I engraved it before, just for you."

She pressed it into his hand.

Written in Gallifreyan script was his name, entangled with Rose's.

"Rose…"

He stared at her, tears in his eyes.

"I know."

"Jack, go on!" the Doctor shouted shakily, holding Rose's hands tightly in his.

"Then I now pronounce you ma-Time Lord and wife. You may kiss the bride. And do it quick, they've got back up on the way!"

The Doctor dipped his head down, capturing Rose's lips in a kiss as he realised that they were actually married.

The Doctor, one so afraid of commitment and domesticity, was married with a daughter.

He knew that if it was with anyone else, he would have been terrified and searching for an escape. But with Rose…he'd never felt anything more right in his entire life.

For the first time he didn't wish for his life on Gallifrey. He was content where he was, with Rose.

_Rose Tyler is my __**wife**__. I actually did something on my list!_

"Doctor, time to go!" River cried, firing at the lift panel.

The doors opened immediately.

Rose leant back, gazing up at the Doctor.

"Don't do anything stupid," she told him sharply.

"Don't you either," he said with a teasing smile.

Waiting for Jack to clear a path, she tugged on the Doctor's hand and yelled, "Run!"

They piled into the lift as River rapidly pressed the button for the top level.

Mercifully, the doors shut just as the men reached them.

"Can't they take us back?" Jack asked worriedly.

"Not…if….I….do…this!" the Doctor said happily, Sonicing the buttons. "This can only go up now."

"This is insane," River said breathlessly, resting her hands on her knees. "Why are there so many?"

"They're not going down without a fight?" Jack suggested.

"No. They want to capture us," Rose said grimly. "This is a trap and Grace is the bait."

"Oh well done," a voice said smoothly over an intercom.

The lift doors slid open. They walked out slowly, pushing open a final set of doors.

Rose shuddered at the sight of the cold room, the vast white wall, memories of that awful day hitting her like a ton of bricks.

The Doctor was no better.

"You found me and worked out my master plan. Come and clap me in irons," Madame Kovarian said dramatically, her usual smirk in place.

"Where is she, you psychopath?" Rose snarled, moving slowly forward.

"Now, Rosie, is that any way to speak to the woman who took care of you throughout your pregnancy?"

"Took _care_ of me?" Rose shrieked incredulously. "You drugged me and tied me to a bed!"

Jack forced the smirk he felt coming away.

"It was for the greater good."

"Greater good, my ass," Jack snorted, aiming his gun at the loathsome woman.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," she said enigmatically. "Boys, join us."

River shook her head in anger as yet more soldiers came forward, every gun pointed at them.

"You sick, evil, sly-" she started, her mouth curling in disdain as she ran forward, shooting at as many soldiers as she could.

"River, no!" Rose screamed, pulling against the Doctor's suddenly vice-like hold.

With a shuddering gasp, River staggered to a halt, a dart sticking out of her neck. A moment later she collapsed.

"Don't worry, just a tranquiliser. I wouldn't want to be killing one as important as she."

Jack snarled, standing protectively in front of Rose and the Doctor.

"Oh, it's the man who can't die. Or should I say…the Face of Boe?" Madame Kovarian sneered, smiling coldly as Jack gaped at her. "Kill him."

Rose screamed as a dozen shots hit Jack, his body dropping to the floor with a sickening thud.

"I hate you," Rose breathed.

"Speak up now, girl."

"I HATE YOU!" she bellowed, struggling away from the Doctor's iron grip, her entire body throbbing with pain.

"Give us our daughter and you can spend the rest of your life in jail," the Doctor said in a low voice.

"As opposed to?"

"Us killing you," he said darkly.

Madame Kovarian laughed, throwing her head back.

"The Doctor and Rose, killers? I think not."

"For my daughter, I will do anything," Rose said fiercely. "And I want my revenge on you so badly it hurts."

"Your daughter should have been drowned at birth," Madame Kovarian hissed, staring at Rose, her eyes alight with malice. "There's something unnatural about that child. She's more than just half-Time Lord. Do you know what she is?"

Rose said nothing, her hands gripping at the Doctor's jacket, the fabric scrunched in her closed fists.

"Do you want to know, Rosie? Shall I tell you? One word, just one. _Abomination_," Madame Kovarian whispered.

Rose stiffened, her eyes widening in shock. "How? How do you-?"

"Oh I have learnt many things in the short time since we last met."

"You monstrous bitch," Rose said, her breathing ragged. "I will kill you, if it's the last thing I ever do."

"I'm sure you will, girl," Madame Kovarian said in a bored voice.

"How do you know these things?" the Doctor asked urgently, tightening his hold on a squirming Rose.

"Things? Oh you mean like…what happened at Canary Wharf? That Captain Jack Harkness, formerly of the Torchwood Institute is also the Face of Boe? That Rose and your beast of a daughter are abominations?"

"Rose is not an abomination," the Doctor growled, "and neither is our daughter."

"She is unnatural. When she looks at you…"

Madame Kovarian shuddered, her reaction involuntary.

"Still…she is a valuable weapon. One must forsake herself for the greater good."

"Stop saying that," Rose snapped, wondering how long it would take Jack to come back to life.

"You still haven't told us how you know," the Doctor said quietly.

Madame Kovarian smiled coldly.

"I have friends in high places," she said in a low voice. "And they are far more powerful than any of you."

"Name them."

She laughed, throwing her head back and baring her teeth.

"Oh, Doctor. How delusional you are. You won't find them. They are gone."

"Name. Them."

"Daleks," Madame Kovarian breathed, her eyes shining with glee.

"There are no Daleks," Rose said quickly, glancing at the Doctor. "Right?"

"How did they know?" the Doctor asked darkly.

"Legends, myths, stories passed down. And they told me something very strange. They called you the Bad Wolf, girl. And they call the Bad Wolf an abomination and told me, after much hard work on my part, that they didn't want your child. They didn't want one so damaged and twisted and wrong. So I will keep her for myself and raise her to hate everything that you stand for, everything you fight. And then, my dearest Rosie, I'll let her kill you. She will never know the truth of her heritage. But I'm afraid that means I'll have to keep you in captivity for a few thousand years. It will be just like old times."

"You said you wanted all of us," the Doctor said shakily, pulling Rose even closer to him as she digested what Kovarian had said, her breath coming out in sharp gasps.

"Oh yes. River will go to the Daleks for whatever they have planned, I don't care much. She is far more valuable now than she was as a child. I thank you for taking her and showing me that, Doctor. I believe it has something to do with the Time War. Imagine a traitorous Time Lord; how the universe will change. And Boe will be coming with me. There are many experiments I wish to conduct on him. He is _fascinating_, don't you think?"

"The Daleks have found a way to escape and re-enter the Time War?" the Doctor said hoarsely.

"It would seem so. Though this is all hearsay. We shall know soon enough."

"And what about me?"

"All in good time, Doctor," she said silkily before barking, "Jaegar."

A man strode forward, his eyes fixed on Rose.

"Oh God," she whispered, her mind flying back to Demons Run, remembering the man who had attacked her, Kovarian's right hand man. "It's you."

"Surprise," he growled, his voice so deep it seemed to echo through her.

Rose pushed the Doctor as hard as she could, scrambling away from him. He hit the ground, the breath knocked out of him, desperately willing his eyes to focus and find Rose.

She darted to the side, trying to get out of Jagaer's reach as he raised his arm. She wasn't quick enough; his backhand echoed around the room.

Rose staggered backwards before slumping against the wall, unconscious.

"I told you to never touch her again!" the Doctor snarled, lurching to his feet.

"Well I didn't, did I?"

Before he could respond, Jack gasped, pushing himself up immediately. Seeing Rose, he let out a roar of fury, reaching for his gun and shooting at Jaegar. The man crumpled to the ground.

As he turned his gun on Madame Kovarian, a shot hit him square in the chest. He fell, dead for the second time that day.

"How uncivilised," Madame Kovarian said softly.

The Doctor started towards her, fury filling every inch of his body. He heard the safety latch on her gun click.

"Take one more step and I'll blow your brains out. And then I'll do it again and again and again, as many times as it takes. No regenerations after that, Doctor. And who will save your precious child then?"


	19. One Last Shot

Don't own Doctor Who.

So I've only just realised that in all the previous chapters when I was writing for Madame Kovarian I kept saying "eyes", completely forgetting she only had one so apologies for that.

Also, this should be the penultimate chapter if I can tie everything up in just one, which hopefully I can 'cause twenty chapters is quite enough, especially after everything I've put the characters through.

And now on with the chapter.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Nineteen<strong>

**One Last Shot**

The Doctor glared at Madame Kovarian, throwing the full weight of the Oncoming Storm into it as she aimed the gun at his head and walked forward, effectively barring the way to his daughter.  
>That was her first mistake.<p>

"I was going to let your little girl do this; give her the honour and glory of killing you, when she was old enough of course. But you had to arrive too early, didn't you, Doctor? No matter; I'll just kill you myself. After all, it's not like I haven't wanted to," she sneered, her finger moving to the trigger.

A single shot echoed through the hangar.

Madame Kovarian's second mistake was to underestimate a human who wasn't quite human by the name of Rose Tyler.

She stared down in shock at the bullet hole in her chest, blood trickled trickling from her mouth.

"Do you know what happens when you attack a wolf?" Rose asked conversationally. Madame Kovarian turned shakily in disbelief, her eye wide open.

"It bites," Rose said coldly.

Madame Kovarian attempted to speak, her breath rasping.

"Everything you have done is destroyed," Rose continued, her voice taking on an ethereal tone as her eyes swirled with golden light. "Everything you are is ended."

She was dead before she hit the ground.

All around them, the men screamed in agony, their hands flying to their heads, every gun dropping to the ground. They fell where they stood, their eyes glassy and unfocused.

The Doctor looked up to see Rose stood protectively in front of Grace. She was still holding the gun, her face determined. The golden light was gone.

"Did I kill her?" Rose asked, voice trembling. She was looking past him, her gaze fixed on the white wall.

The Doctor nodded, completely numb.

Rose tried to ignore the sick sense of triumph she felt at having killed her pitiless captor, her voice having been shaking with repressed pleasure. She remembered when she had last threatened to shoot someone. What she had been asked.

_Would you though? Would you really? Is that what the Doctor would want?_

This time he would want this, she had thought as she picked up the gun; to protect their daughter, he would want this.

But the look in his eyes made her falter.

With a shuddering breath, the gun fell from her limp hands.

The sound seemed to jolt Rose back into reality. Whirling around, she ran to where her daughter lay, still sleeping after all that had happened. As if sensing her mother leaning over her makeshift cot, she opened her eyes, making soft little baby noises as she wriggled awake.

Rose laughed tearfully, gently picking her up and cuddling her to chest.

"Of course you'd have your father's eyes," she muttered, torn between joy and jealousy.

"She has your nose though, and your hair."

The Doctor's arm suddenly snaked around her side, the other reaching out to touch his little girl for the first time. He held her tiny hand in his, his vision blurring with unshed tears.

"Is she ok?" he asked in a hushed voice. "Did they hurt her?"

Rose shook her head, stroking her daughter's hair softly as she stared up at her parents.

"She's fine," Rose breathed, hardly daring to believe it. "She's ok."

The Doctor nodded, his tears falling onto Rose's shoulder.

"She's so beautiful," he whispered.

"I know. She's so small. Like a porcelain doll. We-we can't have been that long then, if she's still this tiny."

The Doctor pressed two fingers against her miniature chest.

"She has two hearts."

"I guessed as much. I mean, we always knew it was a possibility and your species is far superior to mine so…" Rose said, her eyes never leaving her daughter.

"Rose-"

"I knew anyway," she interrupted. "When they scanned me they knew she was half-Time Lord; that's obviously how they found out."

The Doctor said nothing. Rose leant against his chest as he put his arms over hers, the two proud parents holding their child together.

"I think it's time she had a name," the Doctor murmured in her ear.

Rose leant her head forward, kissing her daughter's head.

"Hello, Grace," she said, her voice breaking with emotion. She gurgled in response.

Rose laughed, "You like it, Gracie?"

"She might just like your voice," he said to tease her.

"Doctor?"

"Yes, Rose?"

"Shut up."

He chuckled, resting his head on her shoulder, content with just looking at his daughter.

"Shutting up."

There was a loud bang, followed by what sounded like-

"Gunfire? Is that gunfire?" the Doctor asked worriedly, absentmindedly holding Rose and Grace closer to him.

"We need to get out of here," Rose said urgently, glancing round as Jack woke up, gasping for air.

"Twice in one day," he muttered, picking himself up of the floor and grabbing his gun. "That hasn't happened in a while."

"It took you long enough," Rose said under her breath.

"Where'd she go?" he asked worriedly, turning one way and then another.

"She's dead," the Doctor said flatly.

"River," Rose breathed, suddenly remembering her. "Oh God, is she ok? Here, take Grace."

Cradling his child to his chest, the Doctor stared down at her in amazement, her hand closing around his little finger as she fell back asleep, yawning.

_How can a yawn be cute?_ the Doctor thought, amused.

Meanwhile, Rose had dropped to her knees beside River, pushing her hair away from her face.

"Can you hear me? River, just move something, tell me you're ok," Rose said urgently, pressing her fingers to River's throat.

"She'll be out for a while I think," Jack said quietly, kneeling beside her and examining the dart.

"You think?" she said doubtfully.

"I won't know for sure unless I see what they drugged her with."

"Take it out," Rose said quietly.

Jack nodded, turning River's head slightly and saying gently, "River, I'm going to take this out but it's going to hurt so be ready."

Rose glanced at him before placing her hands on River's shoulders.

"Go."

Jack didn't hesitate, wrenching the dart out of River's neck, taking care not to catch the tip with his fingers as he scrutinised it, ignoring her as she writhed beside him.

"Shh, River," Rose soothed, barely noticing the Doctor standing behind her.

"Doesn't look like a heavy sedative. She might be awake in a couple of minutes, maybe half an hour at the most."

"We're taking too long, whoever was shooting will be up here soon and we're down to one gunman," the Doctor said softly, shifting Grace in his arms.

The lift doors opened.

Jack jumped to his feet, aiming at the glass doors as he pushed Rose behind him.

"If it looks like we're going to get trapped here," Rose breathed to the Doctor, her hand on his arm, "you get the hell out. Stay with Grace and run. Get to the TARDIS."

"I won't leave you," he said strongly.

"For her you will."

They waited in silence, all eyes but Grace and River's on the doors in front of them, prepared for anything.

Well. Anything except the sight of Rory with a bloodied sword, Mickey and Martha with machine guns, Gwen with a metallic alien weapon and Amy armed with a thick, metal pole, a huge grin on her face.

"Wha-how did you…?"

"Find you?" Rory asked, raising one eyebrow. "That gun I put on the console had a tracking device in it. The stuff I said…it was all part of the plan." He frowned. "Well, most of it."

"Surprise!" Amy yelled, shaking her pole at them, still positively beaming.

Jack laughed, the sound echoing around the room.

"I'm impressed!"

Rory started to smile but the expression froze on his face, his eyes widening in horror.

"Melody…MELODY!" he screamed, darting forward, pushing past Jack and Rose, skidding to a halt beside his daughter. "What happened? Is she...?"

"She's unconscious," Jack said quietly as Amy barrelled past him, falling to her knees beside her husband and stroking River's hair, her hand trembling. "She was drugged. She should wake up soon."

"Melody," Amy whispered. "Melody, we're here. Wake up."

"I'm sorry," Rory said quietly, taking River's hand. "I didn't mean what I said to you. Well I did, because it's the truth but I didn't mean to hurt you. I never wanted to hurt you, Melody."

"Then stop cutting the circulation off to my hand," River muttered, her eyes flickering open.

"Oh thank God," Rory breathed, jerking his hand away from River.

"I'm sorry," she said quietly, her eyes filling with tears.

"Forget about it; I'm your Dad, we'll always be having arguments."

River opened her mouth to tell him he was wrong, that Amy was the shouter of the family, when she heard the Doctor cry, "Rose!"

River sat up as fast as she could, her head spinning.

Rose had fallen to her knees, her eyes closed, her hands gripping at her hair, holding her head as though it was splitting in two.

"It was me," she gasped.

The Doctor shifted Grace in his arms, holding her tighter to his chest as he knelt before Rose.

"Rose? What was you? What have you done?" he asked softly.

Rose's eyes flew open. The Doctor inhaled sharply.

Instead of the usual golden light in Rose's eyes, they were blind, the irises burning gold.

"I opened the Crack and Time splintered once again. I unintentionally created another Crack, one so close to my own heart of Time. The Time War," she whispered. "I set in motion the events so I bore the consequences. Everything that has happened has done so because of me."

"But you finished it," he said, staring at her in amazement. "You killed her."

"This is not the end," she breathed. "The Daleks will return and they will be so powerful even we won't be able to stop them. With a traitorous Time Lord they will learn everything and you will die."

The Doctor froze, covering Grace's head with his hand absentmindedly.

"Yes," Rose said, her breathing ragged. "She will never be born for I will never have met you. River will never be born and then the universe will fall, destroying itself and everything inside."

"So…basically the end of the world as we know it, right?" Jack said slowly, glancing from Rose to the Doctor.

"All because of one lost, little girl," Rose said softly as a tear rolled down her cheek.

"It's like you said on Satellite Five," the Doctor murmured. "You-"

"Create myself. What I said on Satellite Five was true for that moment but also a prophecy. One that I had to live without any future knowledge…without knowing I was the Bad Wolf."

"Rose…" the Doctor said in a low voice, rising slowly to his feet as Grace squirmed in his arms, her face crinkling as she began to cry.

"_I create myself,_" Rose said softly, tears now falling thick and fast. "I made this, Doctor," she said through gritted teeth. "I caused all of this."

"Rose, stop," the Doctor begged as River staggered to her feet, leaning heavily on her parents, her gaze fixed on Rose.

"_I take the words, I scatter them in time and space. A message to lead myself here,_" she recited, her voice shaking. "I lead you to me. I led myself to me on that Dark Sword. I put those words there. Two words."

"Rose," the Doctor whispered, backing away from her slowly as she shone, tendrils of golden light wrapping themselves around her body, twisting down her arms and legs, circling her head like a crown.

"_I want you safe, my Doctor. Protected from the false god,_" she murmured. "I have always protected you. Even when I was gone I kept you safe. Kovarian tried to act like a god and she fell like a god, ruined by her own pride."

"What the bloody hell is going on?" Gwen cried, staring at Rose in confusion and terror, absentmindedly aiming her gun at her.

"Don't!" Jack cried, pushing her arm down.

"_You are tiny. I can see the whole of time and space. Every single atom of your existence. And I divide them."_

The light became stronger, engulfing Rose and everything close to her, painting the white wall gold.

"_Everything must come to death. All things. Everything dies. The Time War ends,_" she said fiercely, her hands balled into fists. Her face darkened, hatred etched into her very skin as she spoke to an unseen enemy. "I will destroy you. I will make sure you never even look at another species until the end of Time. You will be trapped forever, like you were before. I curse you and all other Daleks to fail, binding you to destruction because of your very nature."

"Rose, you need to stop!" the Doctor cried, sharing a panicked look with Jack as he gave Grace to Martha, freeing his hands to do…well he wasn't really sure what he was going to do.

With Rose's fury came a storm at the top of Canary Wharf. Wind whistled through the white room, howling in their ears as lightning cracked, its colour gold as thunder clapped above them, rumbling with the same intensity and the burning in Rose's eyes; though Rose's voice rose above the noise.

"I will divide every single atom of your existence on Satellite Five. I will trap you in the Void in this very place. I will write every part of your history so that you fail at every attempt you make to take over the universe. Manhattan, the Time War itself, on the Crucible. None of your kind shall succeed. Davros, the Emperor, the Cult of Skaro; all shall fail. You shall even be killed by your own kind, thought of as inferior. Abominations just like me. And whenever we meet, we shall be victorious; over and over again until eventually there will be mo Daleks left in existence. Exterminated, like a rat in someone's home; hated, unwanted and eventually extinct, left only in myths and stories. Only one Dalek shall escape this fate. One who changed its nature, showed compassion and mercy. One who chose to be free."

"Can she handle this?" Mickey shouted, grabbing Martha's hand and pulling her closer to the others.

"I don't know," the Doctor breathed, fear ripping through his very soul.

"The crack is closed; the Time War shut forever more. Doctor," she said softly, her voice carrying across the room as the tempest around them finally started to calm. She turned to look at him, her eyes fading back to brown though still burning. "Doctor, I saw Gallifrey," she sobbed. "And it was beautiful."

"Rose, you've done it now stop. Just let go!" the Doctor yelled.

The irony wasn't lost on him.

"_How can I let go of this? I bring life._"

She stared at Jack, her lip trembling.

"Don't say it," he warned.

"I brought life to this world; I gave birth to a daughter, one who has the power to become the Bad Wolf."

"But this is wrong. You can't control life and death!"

The Doctor walked forward, ignoring the fearful glances that were thrown in his direction.

"_But I can. The sun and the moon, the day and night. Why do they hurt? I can see everything. All that is, all that was, all that ever could be_."

"Rose, listen to me. Just let go, like you've done before. Come back to me this one final time."

"I can take away life," she said softly, her gaze still locked on Jack. "I can make you mortal."

Jack stared at her, his face blank. "No."

"Jack," Gwen said quietly. "Think about what she's offering you."

"I don't want it. I'll bitch and moan about being immortal but when she-what am I doing, you're right there." He ran forward, pushing past the Doctor's outstretched arm, ignoring his warning.

"Rosie, you gave me it as a gift. You wanted to save me."

"I can take it away, Jack," she whispered, holding her hand out to him, a clear invitation.

He stared at it longingly, his own hand hovering in empty space.

"No," he said resolutely, moving backwards, his hand dropping to his side. "Thanks but no thanks."

"Jack," Rose whispered, her face filled with anguish.

"No. After so many years of fighting it…Bad Wolf, I accept your gift," Jack said firmly, his shoulders set.

"Then you are blessed," Rose said lightly, smiling as she closed her eyes.

"Rose," the Doctor said worriedly.

"Doctor, I saw Gallifrey," she repeated contentedly.

The Doctor swallowed hard before asking softly, "Was it burning?"

"No. It was…vibrant, alive. Despite the war around it, it was beautiful. So beautiful."

She sighed happily, slumping to one side. The Doctor darted forward and caught her before she hit the floor, cradling her against his chest.

"She's unconscious," he said raggedly.

"She did too much," Jack said quietly.

Mickey glanced around, his gaze flicking from a drowsy River to a worried Rory and a confused Amy; from an alarmed Martha holding a now shrieking Grace to a wide-eyed Gwen; from Jack to the Doctor to Rose.

He shook his head, smirking slightly.

"Never a dull moment with us, eh?"


	20. What the Daughter Does, the Mother Did

Firstly, I still do not own Doctor Who.

Secondly, I apologise about the delay; I had my birthday and then I went back to college and then I got sick and Time sort of fell to the side and when I finally had time to write it, I got writer's block.

Irony, right?

Thirdly, this is the final chapter and so the end of Time, (no pun intended). I'd like to thank everyone who has read, reviewed, favourited and story-alerted as it really means a lot. To those who favourite-authored me, thank you very, very much.

I'd also like to say a big thank you to Angelic Toaster, whose reviews I always looked forward to when I posted a new chapter and who always made me smile. I know I said thank you up there but to the people who reviewed I'd like to say a special thank you as everytime I read another good review, I felt a lot better about writing things and publishing them on here where they can actually be read because for a long time, Time was just on my laptop doing nothing so, again, thank you.

One last thing as well before I finish, a few people said they actually liked River in this story and I'd just like to say that I do too, which shows just how much I really dislike her when the only time I can actually stand her is when I'm writing her. I think if she backed off from the Doctor I'd like her just fine but she's always there, being all flirty. I'm waiting for the episode where he tells to get lost and then actually _says _Rose's name. I could go on but this is getting really long now.

Anyway, ramble over and onto the chapter.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Twenty<strong>

**What the Daughter Does, the Mother Did**

It was the day after the events at Canary Wharf, a day since they had returned to Martha and Mickey's flat.

That night they all crammed into the living room, laughing and talking until late into the night. Harry was in his crib with Grace beside him in an old cot dragged out of the spare room whilst Anwen slept in her baby carrier; Jack, Gwen, Rhys, Amy and Rory were on the floor amidst a jumble of sleeping bags and blankets, Melody laying between her mother and father as River sat in a worn armchair, her eyes unfocused. Martha and Mickey had taken one couch, Rose and the Doctor the other.

After Rose collapsed, all hell had broken loose as everyone panicked, unsure of how to help her. The Doctor, cool as you please, had stepped forward, taken her into his arms as gently as he could, ignoring the blood trickling from her nose, and carried her into the lift, leaving everyone else scurrying behind him.

She had awoken an hour later, asking for the Doctor and Grace, completely unwilling to talk about what had happened at the top of Torchwood Tower.

As everyone eventually drifted off to sleep in the flat, Rose stayed awake, gazing at the Doctor.

"You need to rest," he whispered, taking her hand in his.

"I scared you today," she said softly, her breath tickling his cheek.

"Yes, you did. Let's not do that again."

Rose closed her eyes. "I'm sorry."

He kissed her forehead, pulling her closer so that her head rested on his shoulder.

"I love you, my wife," he murmured.

"I love you, my husband," she said with a quiet laugh.

"Me and you, Rose Tyler. We're forever, aren't we?"

"Of course we are. Forever and a day."

"Forever and two days."

"Forever and a billion-"

"As touching as it is listening to the two of you, I would like to sleep tonight."

Rose jumped slightly, River's cold voice reminding her of what she still had to do. She shuddered, taking a deep breath before saying softly, "River, can I talk to you outside for a minute?"

River stood up quickly, almost running into the hall, not glancing once at the Doctor as she passed.

"What's wrong?" he asked, holding Rose's hand tighter.

"I need to-oh God," she whispered, sitting up slowly. She closed her eyes, willing herself not to cry yet.

"Rose."

"I need to give her the memories back. Doctor, she's going to hate me."

"Memories? What memories?" he asked hurriedly, sitting up beside her, still clutching her hand.

"I'll tell you later. She deserves to know first," Rose said flatly as she pulled her hand out of the Doctor's grip, getting to her feet and making her way across the room, careful not to stand on anyone as the Doctor watched, torn between following her and staying put.

He felt oddly protective, as though River was a threat.

Exhaling wearily, he sat back, listening with all his might.

"You wanted to say something?" River asked breezily, leaning against the wall and staring at Rose expressionlessly.

"I told you I would give you your memories back," Rose said softly, closing the door quietly behind her.

"What if I don't want them back? From the way you talked about them, I think they're something awful. Something I won't like."

Rose bowed her head.

"I might have been Aunty Rose, but he was never Uncle Doctor," she said sadly. "And I'm sorry, River. I am truly sorry. Because I made you love him. By erasing myself I created love accidentally. And when you remember, that love will disappear."

"What?"

"You used to know me as Aunty Rose. We lived on the TARDIS together."

River shook her head jerkily, her eyes wide.

"I lived with my parents."

Rose hesitated before saying gently, "I rewrote your memories, editing myself out of them. It was too dangerous for you to meet the Doctor in the Library and tell him I would come back. No one should know too much about their own future."

"You do," River snapped, backing away from Rose, her entire body trembling.

"No I don't. I have hunches when something important has to happen but I don't know anything for sure, not about my life or the Doctor's. Even Grace's future is blank to me."

"But you know I'm in it?" River asked scornfully.

"I can see your past and future, River."

"What happened to Melody?"

Rose sighed. "I never wanted to hurt you, _Melody._"

"No, you just wanted to steal my memories and give me false ones," River said sweetly. "You're telling me that my entire world, my life, is a lie."

"Not a lie, altered. Everything I ever said or taught you was instead done by someone else."

"Oh that makes me feel so much better," she snarled.

"Take my hand," Rose said calmly, reaching out to River.

"What?"

"Take my hand and you remember. The real memories replace the false ones."

"I don't want to."

"I promised I'd give them back, I won't break my promise now."

"I don't want them," River whispered, backing away down the hall.

Rose darted forward, holding River's hand in hers.

"I'm so sorry."

"_Aunty Rose, how old are you?"_

_Rose smiled, brushing Melody's hair back. _

"_Spoilers."_

"It was you," River gasped, wanting to pull her hand away but finding herself frozen.

"_Aunty Rose, the Doctor won't let me drive the TARDIS, he says I'm too young. Am I too young, Aunty Rose, am I?" _

_Rose laughed, beckoning Melody over to the console, putting one finger to her lips._

"_He'll be busy for a while building Grace's Sonic Screwdriver. Come here." _

"_Can you fly her, Aunty Rose?" _

"_Yeah."_

"_Did the Doctor teach you?"_

_Rose snorted. "I was taught by the TARDIS."_

"_Will she teach me?" _

_Rose smiled, placing Melody's hand on the console._

"_We both will." _

"Stop," River pleaded.

"_Tell me a story, Aunty Rose." _

"_Don't you want your Mummy or Daddy to?" _

_Melody wrinkled her nose. "They always start kissing when they tell stories."_

"_What do they tell you stories about?"_

"_The Last Centurion. The Girl Who Waited. The Boy Who Waited. The Bad Wolf. The Doctor." _

"_Well I'll tell you a story that has something to do with all of them." _

"_All?" Melody asked in awe._

"_All. It's a poem, one as old as Time." _

"_Like you, Aunty Rose?" _

"_Like me."_

"_And like Beauty and the Beast?" _

_Rose laughed. "Not really like that, no. That's a tale as old as time. This is a poem, a very important poem. It goes:_

_Demons Run when a good man goes to war,_

_Night will fall and drown the sun,_

_When a good man goes to war,_

_Friendship dies and true love lies,_

_Night will fall and dark will rise,_

_When a good man goes to war,_

_Demons Run but count the cost,_

_The battle's won but the child is lost."_

"_Is it a sad poem, Aunty Rose?"_

"_Yes," she said quietly, her eyes faraway. "I suppose it is."_

"Please. Please stop," River begged, falling to her knees, Rose going down with her, still holding her hand.

"You knew Grace as the Doctor's daughter but you had never heard of me. You met her as that little girl in there and you moved onto the TARDIS with your parents. You knew that she had been kidnapped and when you asked how they'd got her back you were told that the Bad Wolf saved her. You never asked what it was or who it was. That was the cover up, Melody. That's what I made you believe. And I'm so sorry, I am so, so sorry because by doing that I made you fall in love with the Doctor."

"I don't love him anymore," River sobbed, tears falling thick and fast. "I never did."

"I never meant to do that to you, Melody. I only meant to wipe my existence from your life. I never wanted to hurt you."

"Did you make him love me back?"

Rose looked away, biting her lip. "I don't know."

"I was in love with the idea of him. He is the only one of my kind."

"You're half-human, Melody. You are not alone in this universe."

River ignored her. "Did you take away everyone's memory of you or just me?"

"Yours and the Doctor's timelines are reversed. It was only you that knew."

"What do I do now?" she breathed. "He was the centre of everything."

"Melody-"

"My life, is it still the same?"  
>Rose nodded quickly. "It was only your childhood I had to change."<p>

"You taught me so much," River whispered. "Everything I thought the Doctor taught me…it was all you."

"Yes."

River gaped at her, horrified. "That doesn't mean I'm in love with you does it?"

Rose laughed, a lone tear rolling down her cheek.

"No. In a different context…I taught you as family, he taught you as the Doctor, your idol. I should have seen what would happen. I didn't even think to look down that possible path."

"You thought he loved you too much to do that."

Rose said nothing, rising to her feet and pulling River up with her.

"So that time when I had a driving lesson and I landed on a planet in the middle of a civil war and Dad hit the roof…"

"Oh no, that was the Doctor," Rose said quickly, shaking her head. "From what I can tell, I was with Amy."

River looked at her curiously. "What's it like, seeing everything?"  
>Rose sighed, biting her lip as she half-smiled.<p>

"It's…amazing, brilliant, completely exhilarating. It's hard though, seeing every person's life except for my own. Well, mine and the Doctor's. And Grace's, though I can sort of squint at hers if I really try. But I can see them sometimes, when they're tied to others."

"So…through what happened with me and the driving lesson, you can tell the Doctor was with me?"

"Yeah."

"And through my Mum's timeline you can tell you were with her?"

"Pretty much."

River frowned. "I don't think I'd like that."

"Sometimes I don't think I do. It's scary, not knowing what comes next. But then again, that's all part of life with the Doctor and I love every second of that."

River smiled. "I did too." She hesitated before adding, "I thought I'd hate you when I found out. And in a way, I'm furious. But in another way…I feel free. I'm no longer tied to the Doctor. I can live and love and be happy. I'm free. And I gained a rather brilliant Aunty," River said with a smile, hugging Rose briefly before wiping at her eyes.

"I'll always be here for you now, as your Aunty Rose. I'm sorry I had to hide it from you for so long."

River nodded, making her way back to the living room, Rose following behind her.

"Do I need to…?"

"If you want. It hasn't happened to any of them yet but if you want to, you can explain it."

River shook her head silently, curls bouncing around her shoulders.

"I said I'd tell the Doctor…is that ok?"

"Yes," River murmured. "Tell him everything."

She opened the door, walking back to her chair and slumping into it.

She was angry, sad, happy, calm, up, down.  
>She was a bloody paradox of emotions.<p>

She pulled a face. She had also been around Gwen for too long.

Her life had been violated, twisted into something very different that it should have been.

She'd been tricked into loving someone. True, she still cared deeply for him, as her friend and fellow Time Lord.

But now…she didn't feel the ache in her chest when she saw Rose with the Doctor, murmuring to him as she lay beside him, kissing the side of his mouth to shut him up.

What she told Rose was true.

She was free.

"Rose told me," the Doctor said quietly the next day, glancing across at River who had just entered the TARDIS, which had been moved into the living room following complaints about it blocking the way to the bathroom.

"I know. She said she would."

"How do you feel?"

River smiled, closing her eyes.

"Free," she whispered. "It's the only word I can think of."

The Doctor shifted, suddenly feeling very awkward.

_Swift change._

"So. How did you hide your song, Song?" he asked, leaning back against the console, staring at River curiously.

River smiled at him mysteriously.

"Ask your wife."

"Who taught you how to drive the TARDIS?"

"Ask your wife."

The Doctor sighed, shaking his head good-naturedly at River. "What are you going to do now?"

River's smile became a smirk.

"Ask your wife."

"That's not an answer," he said sadly, his teasing mood abating.

River's smile faded, her eyes looking past the Doctor.

"I don't know. Everything I thought was real isn't. I might stay away from a while, get my head on straight, let Little Me have you for a bit."

"I'm sorry."

"For what?" River asked, eyes widening with surprise.

"Not loving you in…that way."

River laughed. "A day ago I would have hated that but now…let's just say I don't see you in that way anymore. Don't get me wrong, you're not quite Uncle Doctor. But I don't want to make babies with you."

"Oh," the Doctor squeaked. "Right. Very good."

Before he could find another random topic to bring up, Amy's voice cut through the silence.

"Melody!"

"Amy!" Rory hissed.

"Oh sh-! River!"

"Coming," she called back, laughing.

The Doctor walked beside her, still trying to think of something to say. As they reached the doors, River spoke.

"Doctor, what you told me about love, in that way. I think you should tell Rose that."

"Why?"

"She just needs to know."

The Doctor nodded, frowning in thought.

"Oh, there you are," Amy said happily, pulling River over to where Rory stood quietly.

"So…will we see you now we have…little you?" Amy said slowly.

River looked at her mother, misery clawing at her chest as she thought of leaving her so soon.

She didn't even look at Rory for fear of bursting into tears. Not wanting to hurt him, she reached out, taking his hand gently. He squeezed it, making her eyes water anyway.

"Maybe now and again. I'll visit, I promise. Now that I know-I feel different. I never really loved the Doctor, not the way I would a real man. Maybe it's time I find a new loverboy."

"Oh God," Rory muttered.

"Hey, River," Jack said smoothly, moving over to her. "I'm right here waiting for you."

River stared at him, eyebrows raised.

"You wound me," he said dramatically, clutching at his heart.

"I know. Terrible, isn't it, sweetie?"

"Well look me up one day," he said with a smile.

The smile on River's face was positively wicked as she let go of her parents' hands. She raised her arm, revealing the battered Vortex Manipulator on her wrist.

Jack stared at it in amazement.

"Been there, done that!" she cried mischievously.

"I'm looking forward to that!" Jack yelled, beaming at her.

Rory shuddered.

"Mother, Father, till the next time. Aunty Rose, I shall see you very soon I expect. Doctor, tell that daughter of yours I'll be waiting. And you!" she cried, pointing at Jack and beckoning him closer. He darted forward, bending his head slightly as she whispered something in his ear.

His mouth dropped.

A moment later she was gone.

"Imagine our children," Jack said weakly, raising his own Vortex Manipulator to his chest.

"I shudder at the very thought," the Doctor said cheerfully, Grace squealing in his arms as he joined them, Rose making faces at her over the Doctor's shoulder.

"You could be Great Uncle Doctor," Jack said teasingly, folding his arms in a challenge.

The Doctor stared back at him stoically.

"Shut up, you can't say anything, Uncle Jack," Rose laughed. "And you're going to be Godfather."

"What?" the Doctor yelped, startling Grace just as she was about to fall asleep.

Rose glared at him, taking her into her arms.

"What did you expect?" she asked.

"Not Jack! Imagine the example he'll set!"

"I'm still right here you know."

"Who else is on the list?" the Doctor asked quickly.

"Martha, Mickey, Rory and Amy."

"River?" he suggested.

Rose glared at him again.

"River is her sister."

"Her sister?" he cried.

"You know what I mean," she said dismissively before looking down at Grace. "Daddy's silly, isn't he? Yes, he is. Silly Daddy."

"Silly Daddy?"

"Will you lower your voice?" Rose hissed. "You sound like you're going out for the opera."

Jack snorted as Grace let out a cry.

"Oh, Gracie, don't cry. I'm sorry I was mean about Daddy. Shh, sweetheart."

"SWEETHEART?" the Doctor exclaimed.

Grace burst into full on screams.

"Now look what you've done," Rose snapped, rocking Grace gently in her arms.

"I didn't do anything!"

"Stop shouting."

"Alright, fine then," he whispered, reaching out to touch Grace's hand, smiling benignly when she wrapped her tiny fingers around his little finger. "I love you, Gracie."

Rose smiled triumphantly. "I knew you'd call her Gracie sooner or later."

"Oh shut up," he said softly. "I love you too, you know."

"I know."

The Doctor moved to her side before kissing her gently, one hand still in Grace's, the other resting on Rose's neck.

"We should go soon," he whispered, smirking as she shivered at his breath in her ear.

"I don't want to say goodbye," she whispered back, turning her head every so slightly so that their cheeks were touching.

"Not that I mind but I really am still right here," Jack said loudly.

Rose closed her eyes briefly before turning to Jack and smiling.

"Sorry. I'm going to take Grace onto the TARDIS. Oh wait."

She frowned, glancing back at the Doctor.

"What?"

"Do you have a crib?"

Martha's voice called out to her from the kitchen, muffled by the door.

"You can take the one she used last night if you want."

"Thank you, Martha, but no. I'll find one," the Doctor said, rubbing his hands together purposefully as he walked onto the TARDIS.

Rose watched him go, sighing.

"You want to stay here, don't you?" Jack asked quietly, moving so that they stood side by side.

"I want to stay with everyone, yeah. I want everyone on the TARDIS, I want what it's been like the last few days, all of us together saving people and having a laugh and being safe."

"But," he said softly, wrapping an arm around her waist.

"But it will never be like that. I see all of your lives and they're normal. Well, yours is a bit mad if I'm honest. But don't you see? I have to go on acting like nothing's changed, that we'll all meet up occasionally like normal people, and sometimes we will but in my mind…Jack, in my mind I've seen their deaths. I've seen their whole lives and I'm such an important part. In mine I know it will feel like they're there for a second and then they're gone and I'll move on, make new friends, act like it isn't killing me each time."

"That's our curse, Rosie. To live forever seems fantastic. It's only when you realise that you get to live forever while everyone else gets left behind that makes it so terrible. But you know what I do?"

"What?"

"I cut all ties and run."

"Jack!"

"Well that's what I usually do but these guys…Gwen and Martha, Mickey…it's a lot harder that I thought it would be."

"They're special, Jack. Every one of them is special."

"You're special too, you know."

Rose rolled her eyes. "And you."

"We're the two immortals. No getting rid of us."

"I know, the universe has tried many times."

"And each time we get the better of it."

"And always will."

"Rose…" he said softly. She turned slightly so that she could see his face properly.

"Yeah?" she asked just as quietly.

"Do I ever die? As in, _ever_."

She pursed her lips, blinking quickly. She nodded silently.

Jack sighed contentedly. "Do I die alone?"

She shook her head.

"Are you there?"

The tears began to fall as shook her head again.

"The Doctor is," she said shakily. "And Martha. But, Jack, I will visit you, I promise. Throughout your entire life I will always be there."

Jack smiled, raising his hand to her cheek and cupping it lightly.

"Oh, and don't tell the Doctor, you know what he's like. He's start going on about paradoxes and futures."

"And is he right?"

"Not this time."

Jack laughed, his hand still pressed against her cheek.

"Love you, Rosie."

"Love you, Jack. I'd ask you to come with us but I think I already know the answer."

He glanced at the TARDIS, his hand dropping.

"Maybe later. Anyway, I don't want to see my future bride as a child, that's just wrong."

"Oh God, Jack, stay away from Melody," Rose warned.

"She'll always be River to me. Isn't she amazing? Rose, I think I love her," he said dazedly.

"Of course you do. Now get your stuff and get lost."

Jack grinned, saluting sloppily. "Yes, ma'am."

"Be careful, don't go off with strangers, try not to die too many times, play nice with the other kids," Rose called, glancing down at Grace.

"You suck the fun out of everything!"

"See you soon, Captain."

"Goodbye, my Goddess!"

"Oh God, don't-" she started with a laugh.

Before she could finish he was gone, leaving her alone with Grace.

Her face fell, her heart heavy.

Despite her joking she didn't want him to go. She wanted him here with her, running alongside her and the Doctor.

Her heart sank even more as Gwen entered the room, Anwen in one arm, her car seat in the other.

"Where'd Jack go?" she asked lightly, putting the car seat down and bending to put Anwen into it.

"He left," Rose forced herself to say past the lump in her throat.

Gwen stared at her, her eyes hard.

"What?"

"You just missed-he left."

Gwen watched her for a moment more before turning back to Anwen, her shoulders stiff.

"Oh. Well. Should've known really. Being Jack and all. Yeah. So."

She stood, her eyes glistening.

"Gwen, I'm sorry," Rose whispered.

"Not your fault. Bye, Rose. Take care of your little girl, she'll be the best thing in the world to you and that's a promise."

"You too. And be careful. Thank you…for what you did for me. It means a lot."  
>Gwen shrugged, giving Rose a careful one-armed hug, dodging Grace.<p>

"Rhys would say goodbye but he's already in the car. We need to get going as soon as we can."

"Of course."

"Bye. Bye, Grace," Gwen said softly as she picked the car seat up.

"Goodbye. Bye, Anwen. Bye."

As the door shut behind them, Rose closed her eyes, weariness of goodbyes already getting to her.

"Martha," she called, too scared to go into the kitchen and talk to her there. The living room was good, the TARDIS was in the living room. That way she could run if it got too much.

_Stay in the living room._

The kitchen door opened.

"Everything ok?" Martha asked, frowning.

"Um. Yeah. I just…I think we're going soon and I just wanted to-"

Martha walked forward, pulling Rose into hug, Grace between them.

"You're welcome, I'll see you soon and Mickey's in the bedroom," she said shakily.

"Martha-"

"Don't. You'll make me cry."

She let go, taking a few steps back.

"The Doctor's on the TARDIS," Rose said but she knew it was useless.

Martha shook her head. "Tell him I said goodbye. Besides, I'll see you both soon."

Rose smiled tearfully and nodded.

"Mickey!" Martha yelled.

There were footsteps and then he was there, her oldest friend, staring at her sadly, knowing that he would have to say goodbye to her again.

It never got any easier.

"Goodbye, Rose," he said simply, staying where he was in the doorway.

"Bye, Mickey."

"Come on," Martha said gently, taking Mickey's hand and leading him into the kitchen.

As soon as the door shut, Rose let out a sharp breath, the very air around her causing her pain.

An arm snaked around her waist.

"Don't cry," the Doctor whispered, kissing her neck lightly. "I hate it when you cry."

"I'm not crying," she muttered. "Who's crying?"

"I found a cot," he said quietly.

"Good; my arms are dead."

He laughed, leading her onto the TARDIS.

They were silent, neither knowing what to say.

Finally the Doctor spoke.

"I know you used to wonder why I never went back to see people I travelled with. This is why. It's all good until you have to say goodbye. And, Rose, I have had a lifetime of goodbyes."

"Maybe it's worth it though," she murmured.

"Maybe. Ah. Here we are."

They stopped outside a room, the door a nondescript white. Rose raised her eyebrows.

"Wait till you see inside."

The Doctor opened the door, letting Rose in before him.

"Oh my God…" she breathed.

The room was huge, twice the size of Rose's, with a ceiling exactly like the Doctor's. Planets hung from it like mobiles, Earth and…

"Gallifrey," Rose whispered. "You've given her home."

"I gave her both of them," he said quietly. "There's so much space so that when she grows up she can fill it with whatever she wants. There's not much here now obviously; just a few chairs, a bookcase, the cot."

"Show me the cot. Please," she added sweetly.

The Doctor sighed. "Wrapped around your little finger…this way."

At first she saw nothing but then:

"Doctor…Doctor, I can read it."

The first thing Rose noticed was the size of it, nearly three times as big as a normal cot. It was made of dark wood, carvings and pictures all around it, the cushions inside a deep blue.

And right above where Grace would lay her head, her name in Gallifreyan.

"I thought you might be able to. Have to find out about that."

"Here you go, Grace. Nice, new bed of your own," Rose whispered, putting her down gently and pulling a blanket over her legs. "Night, my baby. Sleep well."

"You should sleep yourself," the Doctor said quietly.

Rose shook her head. "I'll stay here for a while."

"Alright. I need to find Amy and Rory. Will you be alright on your own?"

Rose smiled, her eyes shining. "I'm not alone. Not here. Not anymore."

"Rory, do you think our lives will ever be normal?" Amy asked, her legs draped over Rory's.

They were in the library, not reading nor talking, just sitting together, taking in the peaceful moment while they could; Melody asleep against Rory's other side where they sat on a worn couch.

They glanced at each other before laughing quietly.

"No, of course not," she said to herself. "It's so weird that she's, like, nine and for us it's only been a week or whatever."

"If you think about it, people are going to ask how old she is and think you had her when you were twelve," Rory muttered, frowning.

"We could say we adopted her," Amy suggested half-heartedly.

"No. She's ours; I don't care what other people think. You know…we could move away from Leadworth. You always said you wanted to live abroad one day. Maybe today is one day."

"Or you could stay here," a voice said from the door, causing the two to jump.

"Doctor?" Amy asked, throwing her legs onto the floor and standing up, squinting at the gloomy doorway.

"Who else?"

Rory rolled his eyes.

"We can stay here? But you've got Rose and Grace; won't it be a bit cramped?"  
>The Doctor stepped forward into the light and stared at her in an are-you-actually-being-serious-way.<p>

"Oh right, bigger on the inside."

"Do you want us to stay?" Rory asked hopefully.

He was silent for a moment. "You have a half-Time Lord daughter. She needs to be protected and she needs to learn. I have a half-Time Lord daughter and she's going to need a best friend who gets her in a way no one else can. See where I'm going with this?"

"So you want us to stay for Melody and Grace?" Rory asked, subconsciously stroking Melody's hair as she cried out in her sleep.

"Well that's part of it. The other part is that you're both my best friends and I don't want you to leave," he said quickly, staring resolutely at the floor.

Amy smiled, glancing back at Rory who nodded.

"Then we'll stay. But Melody needs her own room and you need to keep Jack off the TARDIS until she's one hundred and two."

Rory made a choked sound. "More like a thousand. If she comes back and tells me she's with him, I'll-"

"Yes, yes, I know, go all Roman. Personally I think he's very nice," Amy said casually.

"You're just saying that because you think he's gorgeous."

"You're just being mean because he's gorgeous. Doesn't Melody deserve a gorgeous man?"

"Yes but not Captain Jack Harkness. Any other gorgeous man except for him."

"I agree with Rory," the Doctor said cheerfully as he left the library, neither of them hearing him over the sound of their bickering.

He entered the console room, his heartbeats picking up speed as he saw Rose.

"Hello," she said softly, holding her hand out to him.

He took it gently as he stepped closer, his other hand on her waist.

"Are they staying then?" she asked lightly, straightening his bow tie absentmindedly.

"Yes, yes. Took them long enough to decide though, you'd have thought I was offering them poisoned biscuits the way they looked at me."

Rose smiled. "Poisoned biscuits?"

"Don't knock them 'til you try them."

She laughed, glancing into his eyes for a moment, her free hand caressing his cheek.

"What are they doing now?"

"Arguing about Jack. Rory's terrified he's going to end up with River."

"Melody," Rose corrected. "And it doesn't matter anyway. He's marrying Grace."

The Doctor spluttered, trying very hard to find his voice.

Rose laughed again, leaning back against the captain's seat, though it didn't reach her eyes.

"Just kidding, Doctor. I don't think your hearts could take it."

The Doctor watched her, his gaze soft.

"You miss Jackie," he said gently, pulling her closer. She rested her head against his chest, the steady beat of his hearts soothing her troubled mind.

"I just wish I could talk to her sometimes. I had a baby and she'll never know. I got married and she'll never know. What else am I going to do that she'll never know about?"

"There is a way," he murmured.

"I can't burn up a sun to say goodbye," she said flatly.

"Why not? I did."

"Yeah but you're…you!"

"Rose, it might be the only chance you have left," he said in a low voice.

"Don't say that," she whispered, closing her eyes.

"Then what do you want me to say?"

"Nothing."

He smiled.

"Then what do you want me to _do_?"

She was silent for a moment.

Then:

"Find me a sun."

"Right, this star is going into supernova, it should open in…oh what a surprise!"

"Bad Wolf Bay?" Rose said cheerfully.

"Of course. I hate that beach," he grumbled.

Rose laughed. "Join the club."

"Rose…"

She looked up, immediately concerned by the troubled look on the Doctor's face.

"What? What's wrong?"

"If you could go back, back to your family, would you?"

"But I can't," Rose said evenly.

"But if you could?"

"No."

"No?" he echoed.

"I choose you. I chose you then, I choose you now. I will always choose you."  
>The Doctor smiled, hiding his face so she wouldn't see how much it pleased him to hear her say that.<p>

"Really?" he mumbled.

"Really," she said solemnly. "Better get used to it, Doctor."

"Did you know, Rose Tyler, that I love you very much?"

"Quite right too!" she exclaimed, jumping up from her seat.

"That wasn't an answer."

"You don't answer half of my questions," Rose muttered, glaring at him from across the console.

"Yes I do!" he cried incredulously.

"Don't."

"I do."

"Do not."

"Fine. Ask me a question, any question and I'll answer it."

"Do I look fat in these jeans?" she said slowly.

"Not at all. You look as beautiful and sexy as ever."

She laughed. "Right."

"Another one," he whined. "That one was silly."

"Hey, don't _mock_ my questions. Erm…"

The Doctor sighed. "Stop wasting time, Time."

"Oh, Doctor, you're so witty, please stop before my sides split," she said sarcastically, poking her tongue out at him. "I give up. Quick fire round instead. Ready?"

The Doctor squared his shoulders. "I was born ready."

Rose rolled her eyes. "Favourite colour?"

"Blue."

"Star or moon?"

"Moon."

"Harry Potter or Lord of the Rings?"

He stared at her blankly. "Pass."

"Dogs or cats?"

"Dogs."

"More kids?"

He laughed loudly, throwing his head back. "With you? Most definitely."

Rose grinned to herself, absurdly pleased.

"Tweed or tartan?"

He rolled his eyes. "Tweed."

"Did you love River?" she blurted out, immediately screaming at herself internally.

The Doctor froze, River's words from earlier whispering in his mind.

"No. There has only ever been you."

"Well not ever. I know you had family on Gallifrey but forget I even said anything. I didn't mean to anyway. It was my mistake."

"There has only ever been you," he said again, locking his gaze with hers. "I love you more than I have ever loved anyone. And I never loved River. Flirted, yes. Loved, no."

Rose bit her lip to stop herself from smiling.

"Now come here and kiss me," the Doctor said softly.

She ran to him, throwing her arms around his neck and kissing him senseless.

He found he didn't really mind.

"Love you," she murmured.

"I-"

There was a loud whine from the console, breaking the Doctor's concentration.

"It's ready," he said quietly. He took Rose's hand, pulling her over to the console. "Just keep saying her name. You'll know when you've got through to her."

"How?"

"You just will."

She frowned, clutching onto the Doctor's hand tightly.

"Mum."

Mum.

_Mum._

"I did it," she whispered, feeling a link to her mother's mind, though it was thin as thread. "I don't think it's very strong."

"She's asleep. Just keep calling her."

_Mum._

_Mum._

_Mum._

"She's awake," Rose breathed. "I can feel it. Is this what it was like for you with me?"

When he spoke his voice was husky with emotion. "The link to you was strong as soon as I called your name."

Rose lifted their entwined hands, brushing her lips against his knuckles. He shivered, taking her free hand and kissing it.

"Just keep saying her name. She'll follow your voice."

"What do I do then?"

"I'll do some scientific stuff and your image will go through."

"Will I look like a ghost?" she asked anxiously.

"I'll try to stabilise it."

Rose nodded, closing her eyes as she projected one word across universes.

_Mum. _

"They're leaving. Taking-God, they bought a Ferrari. I asked for a nice car and I got given a Land Rover."

"Aren't Land Rover's nice cars?" the Doctor asked confusedly.

"Well yeah but they're definitely not Ferraris."

"Oh right," he said, as though he actually knew what he was talking about.

Rose smiled. "Sorry. Let's talk about something that will make you look smart."

"I am smart. You know I'm smart. You fell in love with me because I'm smart."

"Mmm."

The Doctor suddenly grinned. "That's what we can talk about."

"What?" Rose snapped, not liking his tone at all.

"Why you love me."

She snorted. "What are we, twelve?"

"Rose, tell me," he whined.

"No, you'll laugh at me."

"I won't, I promise."

"Will."

"Won't."

"Will."

"Wo-you know what then, my darling wife, I shall go first. I love you because you're brilliant, because you make me laugh, because you're beautiful, because you're special-"

"Doctor."

His voice was soft as he continued; he was speaking from his hearts.

"Because you took the Time Vortex into your head to save me, because you came back to me time and time again and I was always incredibly grateful, because-"

"Doctor."

"One more. I love you because you made me better. You found me and you made me into a better person and there is no greater honour I can give you than that."

"Is that an insult or a compliment?"

"It could be both. But that's why I love you. Your turn."

"You know what? I think my Mum's in Norway."

"Liar," the Doctor breathed, noting how she leant closer to him. "It'll take her hours. I promise I won't laugh."

"You gave me life," Rose said in a rush. "I love you for loads of reasons but the biggest is that you gave me life, Doctor. Without you I would've done nothing and seen nothing and been nothing. I would've just been another statistic. But you made _me _better. Without you I would be nothing. And, my darling husband, there is no greater honour I can give you than that."

The Doctor swallowed, his throat feeling rather choked with emotion.

"So instead of making you laugh, I made you cry," she said with a laugh, kissing his hand again.

"Rose, look at me," he said quietly.

"I'm concentrating; need to keep my eyes closed."

But she opened them anyway.

He gazed down at her, his eyes filled with so much love and admiration.

"You could have been anything without me. You didn't need me to show you how brilliant you are."

"Yes I did," she whispered, going on her tiptoes to kiss his lips lightly. "Just like you needed me."

"I still need you. I will never ever stop needing you."

"Then never ever leave me," she whispered.

Before he could reply, the TARDIS hummed. The Doctor stepped away from Rose, hating the moment when their skin lost contact as he stared at the screen.

"I think…Rose, she's there."

"Oh God," she gasped, grabbing onto the captain's seat to hold herself up. "I can't do this. I'm not ready to say goodbye forever."

"You have to be," he said sadly. "I'll go get Grace."

She nodded, wishing he could stay.

"That button there," he said softly, watching her from the top step.

She pressed it and felt the connection immediately.

And there she was, stood on that godforsaken beach again. But this time she was where she wanted to be, she was on the right side.

And this time her mother took her place.

"Hi," she said in a high voice.

She cleared her throat.

"Rose," Jackie breathed, almost disbelievingly. She reached out her hand to Rose.

"You-you can't. I'm just a hologram."

"Like that film we watched?"

Rose laughed, though it sounded forced.

"Yeah, Mum. Like Star Wars."

"Rose, I'm back," the Doctor called. He stopped when he saw her stricken face, standing just out of range of the connection; Jackie could hear him but not see him.

How that made him feel better.

"You!" Jackie yelled. "Are you taking care of her?"

"Yes, Jackie," the Doctor called dutifully.

"Mum, there's someone we'd like you to meet," Rose said softly, beckoning him over, Grace wriggling in his arms.

"Mum, this is Grace. Our daughter."

Jackie sagged slightly, as though all fight had left her.

"I'm a grandmother?" she whispered.

Rose nodded, tears already falling.

"How old is she?"

"Just a few weeks. Time travel and everything, sort of messes things up a bit."

Jackie nodded, her eyes wide.

"Oh and, Jackie, guess what? I'm your son-in-law!" the Doctor cried, flashing his wedding ring at her.

"God help me," she muttered.

"At least I won't call you 'mum'."

"You won't have a chance," Jackie whispered, reaching out with her hand again.

Rose bowed her head, her silent tears turning into loud sobs that echoed around the TARDIS. The Doctor moved Grace to one side, leaning into Rose and kissing her temple, resting his chin against her forehead.

"I miss you, Mum. And I love you, I love you so much, I always will."

"I know, sweetheart. I know. I love you too." Jackie hesitated. "How long?"

Rose glanced at a screen behind her.

"A minute."

Jackie laughed.

"What do you say to your only daughter who you're never going to see again in a minute?"

"I don't know," Rose said quietly, gazing at Grace.

"What now for you? You're married, you've got a kid. Can you still go gallivanting around the universe in the TARDIS?"

Rose smiled at her. "Yeah. The universe still needs the Doctor whether he has a wife and child or not."

"But what about you? What about when you grow old and they don't? What about when you die and they don't?"

"Mum," Rose said in a low voice, making the name a warning. "Ask any other question but that."

"Why? Because you don't want to think about it? I'm your mother, Rose; I have to ask the hard questions."

"No, that's not it."

"Then what is it? Am I too thick to understand or something?"

"It always has to be about you, doesn't it?" Rose snapped. "God, I'm burning up a sun to talk to you and all you want to do is shout at me and patronise me and make me feel two inches tall. You know why I don't think about it, Mum? Because I don't need to. I won't age and I won't die for billions of years or whatever because I'm Time. These seconds counting down in our final minute right now? It's me, all of it. And as much as I want to stop it, I can't. Time has to go on."

"What-I don't-how?"

"It doesn't matter; we only have a few seconds left. Mum, I'm sorry for everything, I love you, take care, promise me you will."

"Rose-"

She was too late. She was gone.

At Bad Wolf Bay, Jackie sank to the sand, her eyes burning with tears as she held her hands to her face, mourning the loss of her daughter all over again, burdened with the loss of a granddaughter she didn't even know she had.

On the TARDIS, Rose fell to her knees, her chest heaving with sobs as the Doctor called desperately for Amy.

"What's wrong?" she yelled, skidding to a halt when she saw Rose. "Oh my God, is she ok?"

"Take Grace," he said urgently, passing her over as gently as he could in his haste. "She should just sleep; her room's down there, first on the right."

Amy nodded, hurrying out of the console room as the Doctor knelt in front of Rose, pulling her to his chest, her face buried in his neck as she clutched onto his jacket, anchoring herself to him.

They sat there for what felt like hours but were merely minutes. Rose's sobs subsided to sniffles as the Doctor stroked her hair, rubbed her back, brought her back to him with each touch.

"I'm so sorry, Rose," he whispered, lifting her slightly as he straightened his legs, placing her in his lap.

"I thought I could handle it. As soon as I saw her-"

"I thought she took the news of our marriage very well," he said brightly, resting his head on her shoulder as she played with the ends of his hair.

"Yeah, I think it was when I told her I was Time that she freaked out."

They laughed together, the Doctor's hushed, Rose's tearful.

"So what now?" she asked, pushing the Doctor down and laying beside him on the TARDIS floor, their legs tangled together.

"Well, I have Time, the Girl Who Waited, the Boy Who Waited and two half-Time Lord's in my TARDIS. I think I need a holiday. I deserve a holiday."

Rose smiled. "Where shall we go?"

"Who said you were coming?"

Rose punched his side lightly. "Fine, it can be a family holiday."

"What about…Barcelona? We never did get to go."

"Your wish is my command."

"Is it child-friendly?"

"Of course."

"Are they at war with anyone?"

"No. Don't think so anyway, if my history is correct."

"Is there a chance of actually having a relaxing holiday?"

"Probably not."

"Will we have to run?"

The Doctor turned his head to face her fully, taking her hands in his and holding them to his chest.

"Most definitely."

Rose grinned at him, moving forward to kiss him.

"Then what are we waiting for?"


End file.
